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EDUCATION  DEPT. 


TO 

ARNOLD,   HELEN,  and  EDWARD 


Theseus  and  the  Minotaur. 


Frontispiece 


ECLECTIC  SCHOOL   READINGS 


The  Story  of  the  Greeks 


BY 


H.    A.    GUERBER 


NEW  YORK  •:•  CINCINNATI  •:•  CHICAGO 
AMERICAN   BOOK   COMPANY 


L;^  £<//y97 


eft  /4* 


7  s 


EDUCATION  DEPT, 

Copyright,  1896.  by 
AMERICAN   BOOK  COMPANY. 


STORY  OF  THE  GREEKS. 
W.  P.   II 


PREFACE. 


This  elementary  history  of  Greece  is  intended  for  supple- 
mentary reading  or  as  a  first  history  text-book  for  young  pupils. 
It  is  therefore  made  up  principally  of  stories  about  persons  j  for, 
while  history  proper  is  largely  beyond  the  comprehension  of 
children,  they  are  able  at  an  early  age  to  understand  and  enjoy 
anecdotes  of  people,  especially  of  those  in  the  childhood  of  civil- 
ization. At  the  same  time,  these  stories  will  give  a  clear  idea  of 
the  most  important  events  that  have  taken  place  in  the  ancient 
world,  and,  it  is  hoped,  will  arouse  a  desire  to  read  further.  They 
also  aim  to  enforce  the  lessons  of  perseverance,  courage,  patriot- 
ism, and  virtue  that  are  taught  by  the  noble  lives  described. 

A  knowledge  of  ancient  history,  however  superficial,  is  of  very 
great  value ;  and  the  classic  legends  are  almost  equally  worth 
knowing,  because  of  the  prominent  part  they  play  in  the  world's 
literature.  These  tales  make  a  deep  impression  on  the  minds  of 
children,  and  the  history  thus  learned  almost  in  play  will  cling  to 
the  memory  far  more  tenaciously  than  any  lessons  subsequently 
conned. 

Many  children  leave  school  unacquainted  with  any  history 
except  that  of  the  United  States ;  which,  dealing  with  less  simple 
and  primitive  times  than  that  of  Greece,  is  apt  to  be  so  unattrac- 
tive that  the  child  never  afterwards  reads  any  historical  works. 
It  has  been  my  intention  to  write  a  book  which  will  give  children 

5 


M193164 


pleasure  to  read,  and  will  thus  counteract  the  impression  that 
history  is  uninteresting. 

A  few  suggestions  to  teachers  may  not  be  considered  superflu- 
ous. In  the  first  place,  I  have  found  historical  anecdotes  an 
excellent  aid  in  teaching  English.  Pupils  find  it  far  from  irksome 
to  relate  the  stories  in  their  own  words,  and  to  reproduce  them 
in  compositions.  Secondly,  whenever  a  city  or  country  is  men- 
tioned, every  pupil  should  point  out  its  location  on  the  map.  By 
such  means  only  can  any  one  properly  understand  an  historical 
narrative ;  and  in  the  present  case  there  is  the  added  reason  that 
the  practice  will  go  far  towards  increasing  the  child's  interest  in 
geography.  Lastly,  the  teacher  should  take  great  care  that  the 
proper  names  are  correctly  pronounced.  The  most  common 
errors  are  provided  against  in  the  text ;  for,  on  the  first  occur- 
rence of  such  a  word,  it  is  divided  into  syllables,  with  the  accent 
marked.  It  remains  fot-  the  teacher  to  enforce  the  ordinary  rules 
as  to  the  proper  sounds  of  vowels  and  consonants. 

H.   A.   G. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Map between  10  and  u 

I.     Early  Inhabitants  of  Greece u 

II.     The  Deluge  of  Ogyges 13 

III.  The  Founding  of  Many  Important  Cities        ...       15 

IV.  Story  of  Deucalion 19 

V.  Story  of  Daedalus  and  Icarus          .         .         .         .         .21 

VI.     The  Adventures  of  Jason 24 

VII.     Theseus  visits  the  Labyrinth 26 

VIII.     The  Terrible  Prophecy 29 

IX.     The  Sphinx's  Riddle .30 

X.     Blindness  and  Death  of  CEdipus 34 

XI.     The  Brothers'  Quarrel .         .       37 

XII.     The  Taking  of  Thebes 39 

XIII.  The  Childhood  of  Paris  .         .         .         .         .         .41 

XIV.  The  Muster  of  the  Troops 44 

XV.     The  Sacrifice  of  Iphigenia 46 

XVI.     The  Wrath  of  Achilles 48 

XVII.     Death  of  Hector  and  Achilles 50 

XVIII.  The  Burning  of  Troy     .         .         .         .         .         .         .52 

XIX.     Heroic  Death  of  Codrus 55 

XX.     The  Blind  Poet 57 

XXI.     The  Rise  of  Sparta 61 

XXII.     The  Spartan  Training 62 

XXIII.  The  Brave  Spartan  Boy         .         ,         ,         ,        ,         .64 

7 


,      XXIV.  Public  Tables  in  Sparta   . 

XXV.  Laws  of  Lycurgus     . 

XXVI.  The  Messenian  War 

XXVII.  The  Music  of  Tyrtaeus      . 

XXVIII.  Aristomenes' Escape 

XXIX.  The  Olympic  Games 

XXX.  Milo  of  Croton 

XXXI.  The  Jealous  Athlete 

XXXII.  The  Girls1  Games     . 

XXXIII.  The  Bloody  Laws  of  Draco 

XXXIV.  The  Laws  of  Solon  . 
XXXV.  The  First  Plays 

XXXVI.  The  Tyrant  Pisistratus     . 

XXXVII.  The  Tyrant's  Insult 

XXXVIII.  Death  of  the  Conspirators 

XXXIX.  Hippias  driven  out  of  Athens 

XL.  The  Great  King 

XLI.  Hippias  visits  Darius 

XLII.  Destruction  of  the  Persian  Host 

XLIII.  The  Advance  of  the  Second  Host 

XLIV.  The  Battle  of  Marathon    . 

XLV.  Miltiades1  Disgrace  . 

XLVI.  Aristides  the  Just     . 

XLVII.  Two  Noble  Spartan  Youths      . 

XLVIII.  The  Great  Army       . 

XLIX.  Preparations  for  Defense  . 

L.  Leonidas  at  Thermopylae 

LI.  Death  of  Leonidas   . 

LII.  The  Burning  of  Athens    . 

LIII.  The  Battles  of  Salamis  and  Plataea 

LIV.  The  Rebuilding  of  Athens 

LV.  Death  of  Pausanias  . 

LVI.  Cimon  improves  Athens  . 


LVII.  The  Earthquake    .... 

LVIII.  The  Age  of  Pericles 

LIX.  The  Teachings  of  Anaxagoras 

LX.  Beginning  of  the  Peloponnesian  War 

LXI.  Death  of  Pericles   .... 

LXII.  The  Philosopher  Socrates 

LXIII.  Socrates'  Favorite  Pupil 

LXIV.  Youth  of  Alcibiades       . 

LXV.  Greek  Colonies  in  Italy  . 

LXVI.  Alcibiades  in  Disgrace   . 

LXVII.  Death  of  Alcibiades 

LXVIII.  The  Overthrow  of  the  Thirty  Tyrants 

LXIX.  Accusation  of  Socrates  . 

LXX.  Death  of  Socrates  .... 

LXXI.  The  Defeat  of  Cyrus       .         .       • . 

LXXII.  The  Retreat  of  the  Ten  Thousand 

LXXIII.  Agesilaus  in  Asia  .         .         .         . 

LXXIV.  A  Strange  Interview 

LXXV.  The  Peace  of  Antalcidas 

LXXVI.  The  Theban  Friends      . 

LXX VI I.  Thebes  Free  once  more 

LXXVIII.  The  Battle  of  Leuctra     . 

LXXIX.  Death  of  Pelopidas 

LXXX.  The  Battle  of  Mantinea 

LXXXI.  The  Tyrant  of  Syracuse 

LXXXII.  Story  of  Damon  and  Pythias 

LXXXIII.  The  Sword  of  Damocles 

LXXXIV.  Dion  and  Dionysius 

LXXXV.  Civil  War  in  Syracuse    . 

LXXX VI.  Death  of  Dion        .... 

LXXXVII.  Philip  of  Macedon 

LXXXVIII.  Philip  begins  his  Conquests  . 

LXXXIX.  The  Orator  Demosthenes 


PAGE 

143 
146 

151 
152 

155 

157 
159 
163 
165 
167 
169 
171 
173 
175 
180 
182 
185 
186 
189 
190 
192 

195 
197 
199 
201 
204 
208 
210 
212 
214 
217 
219 
221 


to 


XC.  Philip  masters  Greece 

XCI.  Birth  of  Alexander      . 

XCII.  The  Steed  Bucephalus 

XCI II.  Alexander  as  King 

XCIV.  Alexander  and  Diogenes 

XCV.  Alexander's  Brilliant  Beginning 

XCVI.  The  Gordian  Knot      . 

XCVII.  Alexander's  Royal  Captives 

XCVIII.  Alexander  at  Jerusalem 

XCIX.  The  African  Desert     . 

C.  Death  of  Darius 

CI .  Defeat  of  Poms   . 

CII.  The  Return  to  Babylon 

CIII.  Death  of  Alexander  the  Great 

CIV.  The  Division  of  the  Realm 

CV.  Death  of  Demosthenes 

CVI.  The  Last  of  the  Athenians 

CVII.  The  Colossus  of  Rhodes 

CVIII.  The  Battle  of  Ipsus     . 

CIX.  Demetrius  and  the  Athenians 

CX.  The  Achaean  League    . 

CXI.  Division  in  Sparta 

CXII.  Death  of  Agis      . 

CXI II.  The  War  of  the  Two  Leagues 

CXIV.  The  Last  of  the  Greeks 

CXV.  Greece  a  Roman  Province  . 


Index 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  GREEKS. 


-yrr-7 

I.     EARLY    INHABITANTS    OF   GREECE. 

ALTHOUGH  Greece  (or  Hel'las)  is  only  half  as  large 
as  the  State  of  New  York,  it  holds  a  very  impor- 
tant place  in  the  history  of  the  world.  It  is  situated  in 
the  southern  part  of  Europe,  cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the 
continent  by  a  chain  of  high  mountains  which  form  a 
great  wall  on  the  north.  It  is  surrounded  on  nearly 
all  sides  by  the  blue  waters  of  the  Med-it-er-ra'ne-an  Sea, 
which  stretch  so  far  inland  that  it  is  said  no  part  of 
the  country  is  forty  miles  from  the  sea,  or  ten  miles 
from  the  hills.  Thus  shut  in  by  sea  and  mountains,  it 
forms  a  little  territory  by  itself,  and  it  was  the  home  of 
a  noted  people. 

The  history  of  Greece  goes  back  to  the  time  when 
people  did  not  know  how  to  write,  and  kept  no  record 
of  what  was  happening  around  them.  For  a  long 
while  the  stories  told  by  parents  to  their  children  were 
the  only  information  which  could  be  had  about  the 
country  and  its  former  inhabitants ;  and  these  stories, 
slightly   changed   by   every   new   teller,   grew   more   and 

ii 


12 


more  extraordinary  as  time  passed.  At  last  they  were 
so  changed  that  no  one  could  tell  where  the  truth  ended 
and  fancy  began. 

The  beginning  of  Greek  history  is  therefore  like 
a  fairy  tale ;  and  while  much  of  it  cannot,  of  course,  be 
true,  it  is  the  only  information  we  have  about  the  early 
Greeks.  It  is  these  strange  fireside  stories,  which  used 
to  amuse  Greek  children  so  many  years  ago,  that  you 
are  first  going  to  hear. 

About  two  thousand  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ, 
in  the  days  when  Isaac  wanted  to  go  down  into  Egypt, 
Greece  was  inhabited  by  a  savage  race  of  men  called 
the  Pe-las'gi-ans.  They  lived  in  the  forests,  or  in  caves 
hollowed  out  of  the  mountain  side,  and  hunted  wild 
beasts  with  great  clubs  and  stone-tipped  arrows  and 
spears.  They  were  so  rude  and  wild  that  they  ate 
nothing  but  raw  meat,  berries,  and  the  roots  which  they 
dug  up  with  sharp  stones  or  even  with  their  hands. 

For  clothing,  the  Pelasgians  used  the  skins  of  the 
beasts  they  had  killed;  and  to  protect  themselves  against 
other  savages,  they  gathered  together  in  families  or  tribes, 
each  having  a  chief  who  led  in  war  and  in  the  chase. 

There  were  other  far  more  civilized  nations  in  those 
days.  Among  these  were  the  E-gyp'tians,  who  lived  in 
Africa.  They  had  long  known  the  use  of  fire,  had  good 
tools,  and  were  much  further  advanced  than  the  Pelas- 
gians. They  had  learned .  not  only  to  build  houses,  but 
to  erect  the  most  wonderful  monuments  in  the  world, 
— the  Pyr'a-mids,  of  which  you  have  no  doubt  heard. 

In  Egypt  there  were  at  that  time  a  number  of  learned 
men.     They  were  acquainted  with  many  of  the  arts  and  sci- 


13 

ences,  and  recorded  all  they  knew  in  a  peculiar  writing 
of  their  own  invention.  Their  neighbors,  the  Phce-ni'- 
cians,  whose  land  also  bordered  on  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  were  quite  civilized  too ;  and  as  both  of  these  nations 
had  ships,  they  soon  began  to  sail  all  around  that  great, 
inland  sea. 

As  they  had  no  compass,  the  Egyptian  and  Phoenician 
sailors. did  not  venture  out  of  sight  of  land.  They  first 
sailed  along  the  shore,  and  then  to  the  islands  which 
they  could  see  far  out  on  the  blue  waters. 

When  they  had  come  to  one  island,  they  could  see 
another  still  farther  on ;  for,  as  you  will  see  on  any 
map,  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  between  Greece  and 
Asia,  is  dotted  with  islands,  which  look  like  stepping- 
stones  going  from  one  coast  to  the  other. 

Advancing  thus  carefully,  the  Egyptians  and  Phoe- 
nicians finally  came  to  Greece,  where  they  made  settle- 
ments, and  began  to  teach  the  Pelasgians  many  useful 
and  important  things. 

II.    THE   DELUGE   OF   OGYGES. 

THE  first  Egyptian  who  thus  settled  in  Greece  was 
a  prince  called  In'a-chus.  Landing  in  that  country, 
which  has  a  most  delightful  climate,  he  taught  the  Pelas- 
gians how  to  make  fire  and  how  to  cook  their  meat.  He 
also  showed  them  how  to  build  comfortable  homes  by 
piling  up  stones  one  on  top  of  another,  much  in  the 
same  way  as  the  farmer  makes  the  stone  walls  around  his 
fields. 


14 

The  Pelasgians  were  intelligent,  although  so  uncivilized ; 
and  they  soon  learned  to  build  these  walls  higher,  in  order 
to  keep  the  wild  beasts  away  from  their  homes.  Then, 
when  they  had  learned  the  use  of  bronze  and  iron  tools, 
they  cut  the  stones  into  huge  blocks  of  regular  shape. 

These  stone  blocks  were  piled  one  upon  another  so 
cleverly  that  some  of  the  walls  are  still  standing,  although 
no  mortar  was  used  to  hold  the  stones  together.  Such 
was  the  strength  of  the  Pelasgians,  that  they  raised  huge 
blocks  to  great  heights,  and  made  walls  which  their  de- 
scendants declared  must  have  been  built  by  giants. 

As  the  Greeks  called  their  giants  Cy'clops,  which  means 
"round-eyed,"  they  soon  called  these  walls  Cy-clo-pe'an ; 
and,  in  pointing  them  out  to  their  children,  they  told 
strange  tales  of  the  great  giants  who  had  built  them,  and 
always  added  that  these  huge  builders  had  but  one  eye, 
which  was  in  the  middle  of  the  forehead. 

Some  time  after  Inachus  the  Egyptian  had  thus  taught 
the  Pelasgians  the  art  of  building,  and  had  founded  a 
city  called  Ar'gos,  there  came  a  terrible  earthquake.  The 
ground  under  the  people's  feet  heaved  and  cracked,  the 
mountains  shook,  the  waters  flooded  the  dry  land,  and 
the  people  fled  in  terror  to  the  hills. 

In  spite  of  the  speed  with  which  they  ran,  the  waters 
soon  overtook  them.  Many  of  the  Pelasgians  were  thus 
drowned,  while  their  terrified  companions  ran  faster  and 
faster  up  the  mountain,  nor  stopped  to  rest  until  they 
were  quite  safe. 

Looking  down  upon  the  plains  where  they  had  once 
lived,  they  saw  them  all  covered  with  water.  They 
were   now  forced   to   build   new   homes;    but   when   the 


i5 

waters  little  by  little  sank  into  the  ground,  or  flowed 
back  into  the  sea,  they  were  very  glad  to  find  that 
some  of  their  thickest  walls  had  resisted  the  earthquake 
and  flood,  and  were  still  standing  firm. 

The  memory  of  the  earthquake  and  flood  was  very 
clear,  however.  The  poor  Pelasgians  could  not  forget 
their  terror  and  the  sudden  death  of  so  many  friends, 
and  they  often  talked  about  that  horrible  time.  As  this 
flood  occurred  in  the  days  when  Og'y-ges  was  king,  it 
has  generally  been  linked  to  his  name,  and  called  the 
Deluge  (or  flood)  of  Ogyges. 

*oXKoc — 

III.     THE    FOUNDING    OF    MANY   IMPORTANT 

CITIES. 

SOME  time  after  Inachus  had  built  Argos,  another 
Egyptian  prince  came  to  settle  in  Greece.  His 
name  was  Ce'crops,  and,  as  he  came  to  Greece  after 
the  Deluge  of  Ogyges,  he  found  very  few  inhabitants 
left.  He  landed,  and  decided  to  build  a  city  on  a  prom- 
ontory northeast  of  Argos.  Then  he  invited  all  the 
Pelasgians  who  had  not  been  drowned  in  the  flood  to 
join    him. 

The  Pelasgians,  glad  to  find  such  a  wise  leader,  gathered 
around  him,  and  they  soon  learned  to  plow  the  fields 
and  to  sow  wheat.  Under  Cecrops'  orders  they  also 
planted  olive  trees  and  vines,  and  learned  how  to  press 
the  oil  from  the  olives  and  the  wine  from  the  grapes. 
Cecrops   taught   them   how  to   harness   their  oxen ;  and 


16 


before  long  the  women  began  to  spin  the  wool  of  their 
sheep,  and  to  weave  it  into  rough  woolen  garments, 
which  were  used  for  clothing,  instead  of  the  skins  of 
wild  beasts. 

After  building  several  small  towns  in  At'ti-ca,  Cecrops 
founded  a  larger  one,  which  was 
at    first    called    Ce-cro'pi-a    in 
honor  of  himself.     This  name, 
however,  was  soon  changed 
to  Ath'ens  to  please  A-the'ne 
a        (or  Mi-ner'va),  a  goddess 
whom   the    people    wor- 
shiped,   and    who    was 
said  to  watch  over  the 
welfare  of  this  her  fa- 
vorite city. 

When   Cecrops   died, 
he  was  followed  by  other 
princes,  who  continued 
teaching     the     people 
many     useful     things, 
such    as    the   training 
and  harnessing  of  hor- 
ses, the  building  of  carts, 
and    the    proper   way  of 
harvesting  grain.    One  prince 
even    showed    them    how    to 
make  beehives,  and  how  to  use  the  honey  as  an  article  of 
food. 

As  the  mountain  sides  in  Greece  are  covered  with  a  car- 
pet of  wild,  sweet-smelling  herbs  and  flowers,  the  Greek 


Athene. 


17 

honey  is  very  good ;  and  people  .say  that  the  best  honey  in 
the  world  is  made  by  the  bees  on  Mount  Hy-met'tus,  near 
Athens,  where  they  gather  their  golden  store  all  summer 
long. 

Shortly  after  the  building  of  Athens,  a  Phoenician 
colony,  led  by  Cad'mus,  settled  a  neighboring  part  of 
the  country,  called  Bce-o'tia,  where  they  founded  the  city 
which  was  later  known  as  Thebes.  Cadmus  also  taught 
the  people  many  useful  things,  among  others  the  art  of 
trade  (or  commerce)  and  that  of  navigation  (the  building 
and  using  of  ships);  but,  best  of  all,  he  brought  the 
alphabet  to  Greece,  and  showed  the  people  how  to  ex- 
press their  thoughts  in  writing. 

Almost  at  the  same  time  that  Cadmus  founded  Thebes, 
an  Egyptian  called  Dan'a-us  came  to  Greece,  and  settled 
a  colony  on  the  same  spot  where  that  of  Inachus  had 
once  been.  The  new  Argos  rose  on  the  same  place  as 
the  old;  and  the  country  around  it,  called  Ar'go-lis,  was 
separated  from  Boeotia  and  Attica  only  by  a  long  narrow 
strip  of  land,  which  was  known  as  the  Isthmus  of  Cor'- 
inth. 

Danaus  not  only  showed  the  Pelasgians  all  the  useful 
arts  which  Cadmus  and  Cecrops  had  taught,  but  also 
helped  them  to  build  ships  like  that  in  which  he  had 
come  to  Greece.  He  also  founded  religious  festivals  or 
games  in  honor  of  the  harvest  goddess,  De-me'ter.  The 
women  were  invited  to  these  games,  and  they  only  were 
allowed  to  bear  torches  in  the  public  processions,  where 
they  sang  hymns  in  honor  of  the  goddess. 

The  descendants  of  Danaus  long  ruled  over  the  land; 
and  one  member  of  his  family,  Per'seus,  built  the  town  of 

«rr»     Ol?   ^R. <2 


i8 


My-cefnse  on  a  spot  where  many  of  the  Pelasgian  stone 
walls  can  still  be  seen. 

The  Pelasgians  who  joined  this  young  hero  helped 
him  to  build  great  walls  all  around  his  town.  These 
were  provided  with  massive  gateways  and  tall  towers, 
from  which  the  soldiers  could  overlook  the  whole  coun- 
try, and  see  the  approach  of  an  enemy  from  afar. 


The  Lion  Gate,   Mycenae. 

This  same  people  built  tombs  for  some  of  the  ancient 
kings,  and  many  treasure  and  store  houses.  These  build- 
ings, buried  under  earth  and  rubbish,  were  uncovered  a  few 
years  ago.  In  the  tombs  were  found  swords,  spears,  and 
remains  of  ancient  armor,  gold  ornaments,  ancient  pieces 
of  pottery,  human  bones,  and,  strangest  of  all,  thin  masks 


19 

of  pure  gold,  which  covered  the  faces  of   some   of   the 
dead. 

Thus  you  see,  the  Pelasgians  little  by  little  joined  the 
new  colonies  which  came  to  take  possession  of  the  land, 
and  founded  little  states  or  countries  of  their  own,  each 
governed  by  its  own  king,  and  obeying  its  own  laws. 

IV.     STORY   OF  DEUCALION. 

THE  Greeks  used  to  tell  their  children  that  Deu-ca'li-on, 
the  leader  of  the  Thes-sa'li-ans,  was  a  descendant  of 
the  gods,  for  each  part  of  the  country  claimed  that  its 
first  great  man  was  the  son  of  a  god.  It  was  under  the 
reign  of  Deucalion  that  another  flood  took  place.  This 
was  even  more  terrible  than  that  of  Ogyges ;  and  all  the 
people  of  the  neighborhood  fled  in  haste  to  the  high 
mountains  north  of  Thes'sa-ly,  where  they  were  kindly 
received  by  Deucalion. 

When  all  danger  was  over,  and  the  waters  began  to 
recede,  they  followed  their  leader  down  into  the  plains 
again.  This  soon  gave  rise  to  a  wonderful  story,  which 
you  will  often  hear.  It  was  said  that  Deucalion  and  his 
wife  Pyr'rha  were  the  only  people  left  alive  after  the  flood. 
When  the  waters  had  all  gone,  they  went  down  the  moun- 
tain, and  found  that  the  temple  at  Del'phi,  where  they 
worshiped  their  gods,  was  still  standing  unharmed.  They 
entered,  and,  kneeling  before  the  altar,  prayed  for  help. 

A  mysterious  voice  then  bade  them  go  down  the  moun- 
tain, throwing  their  mother's  bones  behind  them.  They 
were   very   much   troubled   when   they    heard  this,   until 


20 


Deucalion  said  that  a  voice  from  heaven  could  not  have 
meant  them  to  do  any  harm.  In  thinking  over  the  real 
meaning  of  the  words  he  had  heard,  he  told  his  wife,  that, 
as  the  Earth  is  the  mother  of  all  creatures,  her  bones 
must  mean  the  stones. 

Deucalion  and  Pyrrha,  therefore,  went  slowly  down  the 
mountain,  throwing  the  stones  behind  them.  The  Greeks 
used  to  tell  that  a  sturdy  race  of  men  sprang  up  from 
the  stones  cast  by  Deucalion,  while  beautiful  women  came 
from  those  cast  by  Pyrrha. 

The  country  was  soon  peopled  by  the  children  of  these 
men,  who  always  proudly  declared  that  the  story  was 
true,  and  that  they  sprang  from  the  race  which  owed  its 
birth  to  this  great  miracle.  Deucalion  reigned  over  this 
people  as  long  as  he  lived ;  and  when  he  died,  his  two 
sons,  Am-phic'ty-on  and  Hel'len,  became  kings  in  his 
stead.  The  former  staid  in  Thessaly ;  and,  hearing  that 
some  barbarians  called  Thra'cians  were  about  to  come  over 
the  mountains  and  drive  his  people  away,  he  called  the 
chiefs  of  all  the  different  states  to  a  council,  to  ask  their 
advice  about  the  best  means  of  defense.  All  the  chiefs 
obeyed  the  summons,  and  met  at  a  place  in  Thessaly 
where  the  mountains  approach  the  sea  so  closely  as  to 
leave  but  a  narrow  pass  between.  In  the  pass  are  hot 
springs,  and  so  it  was  called  Ther-mop'y-lae,  or  the  Hot 
Gateway. 

The  chiefs  thus  gathered  together  called  this  assembly 
the  Am-phic-ty-on'ic  Council,  in  honor  of  Amphictyon. 
After  making  plans  to  drive  back  the  Thracians,  they  de- 
cided to  meet  once  a  year,  either  at  Thermopylae  or  at  the 
temple  at  Delphi,  to  talk  over  all  important  matters. 


21 


V.     STORY   OF    DAEDALUS   AND   ICARUS. 

H  ELLEN,  Deucalion's  second  son,  finding  Thessaly 
too  small  to  give  homes  to  all  the  people,  went 
southward  with  a  band  of  hardy  followers,  and  settled 
in  another  part  of  the  country  which  we  call  Greece,  but 
which  was  then,  in  honor  of  him,  called  Hellas,  while  his 
people  were  called   Hel-le'nes,  or   subjects  of  Hellen. 

When  Hellen  died,  he  left  his  kingdom  to  his  three  sons, 
Do'rus,  AL'o-lus,  and  Xu'thus.  Instead  of  dividing  their 
father's  lands  fairly,  the  eldest  two  sons  quarreled  with 
the  youngest,  and  finally  drove  him  away.  Homeless 
and  poor,  Xuthus  now  went  to  Athens,  where  he  was 
warmly  welcomed  by  the  king,  who  not  only  treated 
him  very  kindly,  but  also  gave  him  his  daughter  in  mar- 
riage, and  promised  that  he  should  inherit  the  throne. 

This  promise  was  duly  kept,  and  Xuthus  the  exile 
ruled  over  Athens.  When  he  died,  he  left  the  crown 
to  his  sons,  Ton  and  A-chae'us. 

As  the  A-the'ni-ans  had  gradually  increased  in  number 
until  their  territory  was  too  small  to  afford  a  living 
to  all  the  inhabitants,  Ion  and  Achaeus,  even  in  their 
father's  lifetime,  led  some  of  their  followers  along  the 
Isthmus  of  Corinth,  and  down  into  the  peninsula,  where 
they  founded  two  flourishing  states,  called,  after  them, 
A-cha'ia  and  I-o'ni-a.  Thus,  while  northern  Greece  was 
pretty  equally  divided  between  the  Do'ri-ans  and  yE-o'li- 
ans,  descendants  and  subjects  of  Dorus  and  ^Eolus,  the 
peninsula  was  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  I-o'ni-ans 
and  A-chae'ans,  who  built  towns,  cultivated  the  soil,  and 


22 


became  bold  navigators.  They  ventured  farther  and 
farther  out  at  sea,  until  they  were  familiar  with  all  the 
neighboring  bays  and  islands. 

Sailing  thus  from  place  to  place,  the  Hellenes  came 
at  last  to  Crete,  a  large  island  south  of  Greece.  This 
island  was  then  governed  by  a  very  wise  king  called 
Mi'nos.  The  laws  of  this  monarch  were  so  just  that 
all  the  Greeks  admired  them  very  much.  When  he 
died,  they  even  declared  that  the  gods  had  called  him 
away  to  judge  the  dead  in  Ha'des,  and  to  decide  what 
punishments  and  rewards  the  spirits  deserved. 

Although  Minos  was  very  wise,  he  had  a  subject 
named  Daed'a-lus  who  was  even  wiser  than  he.  This 
man  not  only  invented  the  saw  and  the  potter's  wheel, 
but  also  taught  the  people  how  to  rig  sails  for  their 
vessels. 

As  nothing  but  oars  and  paddles  had  hitherto  been 
used  to  propel  ships,  this  last  invention  seemed  very 
wonderful ;  and,  to  compliment  Daedalus,  the  people 
declared  that  he  had  given  their  vessels  wings,  and  had 
thus  enabled  them  to  fly  over  the  seas. 

Many  years  after,  when  sails  were  so  common  that 
they  ceased  to  excite  any  wonder,  the  people,  forgetting 
that  these  were  the  wings  which  Daedalus  had  made, 
invented  a  wonderful  story,  which  runs  as  follows. 

Minos,  King  of  Crete,  once  sent  for  Daedalus,  and  bade 
him  build  a  maze,  or  labyrinth,  with  so  many  rooms  and 
winding  halls,  that  no  one,  once  in  it,  could  ever  find 
his  way  out  again. 

Daedalus  set  to  work  and  built  a  maze  so  intricate 
that  neither  he  nor  his  son  Ic'a-rus,  who  was  with  him, 


Da?dalus  and  Icarus. 


24 

could  get  out      Not  willing  to  remain  there  a  prisoner, 
Daedalus  soon  contrived  a  means  of  escape. 

He  and  Icarus  first  gathered  together  a  large  quantity 
of  feathers,  out  of  which  Daedalus  cleverly  made  two 
pairs  of  wings.  When  these  were  fastened  to  their 
shoulders  by  means  of  wax,  father  and  son  rose  up 
like  birds  and  flew  away.  In  spite  of  his  father's 
cautions,  Icarus  rose  higher  and  higher,  until  the  heat 
of  the  sun  melted  the  wax,  so  that  his  wings  dropped 
off,  and  he  fell  into  the  sea  and  was  drowned.  His 
father,  more  prudent  than  he,  flew  low,  and  reached 
Greece  in  safety.  There  he  went  on  inventing  useful 
things,  often  gazing  out  sadly  over  the  waters  in  which 
Icarus  had  perished,  and  which,  in  honor  of  the  drowned 
youth,  were  long  known  as  the  I-ca'ri-an  Sea. 


dX*;c 


VI.     THE   ADVENTURES   OF  JASON. 

THE  Hellenes  had  not  long  been  masters  of  all 
Greece,  when  a  Phryg'i-an  called  Pe'lops  became 
master  of  the  peninsula,  which  from  him  received  the 
name  of  Pel-o-pon-ne'sus.  He  first  taught  the  people  to 
coin  money ;  and  his  descendants,  the  Pe-lop'i-dae,  took 
possession  of  all  the  land  around  them,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Argolis,  where  the  Da-na'i-des  continued  to 
reign. 

Some  of  the  Ionians  and  Achaeans,  driven  away  from 
their  homes  by  the  Pelopidae,  went  on  board  their  many 
vessels,  and  sailed  away.      They  formed  Hel-len'ic  colo- 


25 

nies  in  the  neighboring  islands  along  the  coast  of  Asia 
Minor,  and  even  in  the  southern  part  of  Italy. 

As  some  parts  of  Greece  were  very  thinly  settled,  and 
as  the  people  clustered  around  the  towns  where  their 
rulers  dwelt,  there  were  wide,  desolate  tracts  of  land 
between  them.  Here  were  many  wild  beasts  and  robbers, 
who  lay  in  wait  for  travelers  on  their  way  from  one  settle- 
ment to  another.  The  robbers,  who  hid  in  the  forests 
or  mountains,  were  generally  feared  and  disliked,  until  at 
last  some  brave  young  warriors  made  up  their  minds  to 
fight  against  them  and  to  kill  them  all.  These  young 
men  were  so  brave  that  they  well  deserved  the  name  of 
heroes,  which  has  always  been  given  them ;  and  they 
met  with  many  adventures  about  which  the  people  loved 
to  hear.  Long  after  they  had  gone,  the  inhabitants,  re- 
membering their  relief  when-  the  robbers  were  killed, 
taught  their  children  to  honor  these  brave  young  men 
almost  as  much  as  the  gods,  and  they  called  the  time 
when  they  lived  the  Heroic  Age. 

Not  satisfied  with  freeing  their  own  country  from 
wild  men  and  beasts,  the  heroes  wandered  far  away 
from  home  in  search  of  further  adventures.  These  have 
also  been  told  over  and  over  again  to  children  of  all 
countries  and  ages,  until  every  one  is  expected  to  know 
something  about  them.  Fifty  of  these  heroes,  for  in- 
stance, went  on  board  of  a  small  vessel  called  the  "Argo," 
sailed  across  the  well-known  waters,  and  ventured  boldly 
into  unknown  seas.  They  were  in  search  of  a  Golden 
Fleece,  which  they  were  told  they  would  find  in  Col'chis, 
where  it  was  said  to  be  guarded  by  a  great  dragon. 

The  leader  of  these   fifty  adventurers  was  Ja'son,  an 


26 


JEolmn  prince,  who  brought  them  safely  to  Colchis, 
whence,  as  the  old  stories  relate,  they  brought  back  the 
Golden  Fleece.  They  also  brought  home  the  king's 
daughter,  who  married  Jason,  and  ruled  his  kingdom 
with  him.  Of  course,  as  there  was  no  such  thing  as  a 
Golden  Fleece,  the  Greeks  merely  used  this  expression 
to  tell  about  the  wealth  which  they  got  in  the  East,  and 
carried  home  with  them ;  for  the  voyage  of  the  "  Argo  " 
was  in  reality  the  first  distant  commercial  journey  under- 
taken by  the  Greeks. 


3*KC 


VII.    THESEUS   VISITS   THE   LABYRINTH. 


o 


N  coming  back  from  the  quest  for  the  Golden 
Fleece,  the  heroes  returned  to  their  own  homes, 
where  they  continued  their  efforts  to  make  their  people 
happy. 

The'seus,  one  of  the  heroes,  returned  to  Athens,  and 
founded  a  yearly  festival  in  honor  of  the  goddess  Athene. 
This  festival  was  called  Pan-ath-e-nse'a,  which  means  "all 
the  worshipers  of  Athene."  It  proved  a  great  success, 
and  was  a  bond  of  union  among  the  people,  who  thus 
learned  each  other's  customs  and  manners,  and  grew 
more  friendly  than  if  they  had  always  staid  at  home. 
Theseus  is  one  of  the  best-known  among  all  the  Greek 
heroes.  Besides  going  with  Jason  in  the  "  Argo,"  he 
rid  his  country  of  many  robbers,  and  sailed  to  Crete. 
There  he  visited  Minos,,  the  king,  who,  having  some 
time   before   conquered   the   Athenians,    forced   them   to 


27 

send  him  every  year  a  shipload  of  youths  and  maidens, 
to  feed  to  a  monster  which  he  kept  in  the  Labyrinth. 

To  free  his  country  from  this  tribute,  Theseus,  of  his 
own  free  will,  went  on  board  the  ship.  When  he  reached 
Crete,  he  went  first  into  the  Labyrinth,  and  killed  the 
monster  with  his  sword.  Then  he  found  his  way  out  of 
the  maze  by  means  of  a  long  thread  which  the  king's 
daughter  had  given  him.  One  end  of  it  he  carried 
with  him  as  he  entered,  while  the  other  end  was  fas- 
tened to  the  door. 

His  old  father,  ^E'geus,  who  had  allowed  him  to  go 
only  after  much  persuasion,  had  told  him  to  change  the 
black  sails  of  his  vessel  for  white  if  he  were  lucky 
enough  to  escape.  Theseus  promised  to  do  so,  but  he 
entirely  forgot  it  in  the  joy  of  his  return. 

^Egeus,  watching  for  the  vessel  day  after  day,  saw  it 
coming  back  at  last ;  and  when  the  sunlight  fell  upon  the 
black  sails,  he  felt  sure  that  his  son  was  dead. 

His  grief  was  so  great  at  this  loss,  that  he  fell  from 
the  rock  where  he  was  standing  down  into  the  sea,  and 
was  drowned.  In  memory  of  him,  the  body  of  water  near 
the  rock  is  still  known  as  the  ./E-ge'an  Sea. 

When  Theseus  reached  Athens,  and  heard  of  his 
father's  grief  and  sudden  death,  his  heart  was  filled 
with  sorrow  and  remorse,  and  he  loudly  bewailed  the 
carelessness  which  had  cost  his  father's  life. 

Theseus  now  became  King  of  Athens,  and  ruled  his 
people  very  wisely  for  many  years.  He  took  part  in 
many  adventures  and  battles,  lost  two  wives  and  a  be- 
loved son,  and  in  his  grief  and  old  age  became  so  cross 
and  harsh  that  his  people  ceased  to  love  him. 


28 


They  finally  grew  so  tired  of  his  cruelty,  that  they 
all  rose  up  against  him,  drove  him  out  of  the  city,  and 
forced  him  to  take  up  his  abode  on  the  Island  of  Scy'ros. 
Then,  fearing  that  he  might  return  unexpectedly,  they 
told  the  king  of  the  island  to  watch  him  night  and  day, 
and  to  seize  the  first  good  opportunity  to  get  rid  of  him. 
In  obedience  to  these  orders,  the  king  escorted  Theseus 
wherever  he  went;  and  one  day,  when  they  were  both 
walking  along  the  edge  of  a  tall  cliff, .  he  suddenly 
pushed  Theseus  over  it.  Unable  to  defend  or  save  him- 
self, Theseus  fell  on  some  sharp  rocks  far  below,  and  was 
instantly  killed. 

The  Athenians  rejoiced  greatly  when  they  heard  of  his 
death;  but  they  soon  forgot  his  harshness,  remembered 
only  his  bravery  and  all  the  good  he  had  done  them  in 
his  youth,  and  regretted  their  ingratitude.  Long  after, 
as  you  will  see,  his  body  was  carried  to  Athens,  and  buried 
not  far  from  the  A-crop'o-lis,  which  was  a  fortified  hill  or 
citadel  in  the  midst  of  the  city.  Here  the  Athenians  built 
a  temple  over  his  remains,  and  worshiped  him  as  a  god. 

While  Theseus  was  thus  first  fighting  for  his  subjects, 
and  then  quarreling  with  them,  one  of  his  companions, 
the  hero  Her'cu-les  (or  Her'a-cles)  went  back  to  the  Pelo- 
ponnesus, where  he  had  been  born.  There  his  descend- 
ants, the  Her-a-cli'dae,  soon  began  fighting  with  the 
Pelo^idae  for  the  possession  of  the  land. 

After  much  warfare,  the  Heraclidae  were  driven  away, 
and  banished  to  Thessaly,  where  they  were  allowed  to 
remain  only  upon  condition  that  they  would  not  attempt 
to  renew  their  quarrel  with  the  Pelopidae  for  a  hundred 
years. 


2Q 


VIII.     THE   TERRIBLE   PROPHECY. 

WHILE  Theseus  was  reigning  over  the  Athenians, 
the  neighboring  throne  of  Thebes,  in  Boeotia, 
was  occupied  by  King  La'ius  and  Queen  Jo-cas'ta.  In 
those  days  the  people  thought  they  could  learn  about  the 
future  by  consulting  the  oracles,  or  priests  who  dwelt 
in  the  temples,  and  pretended  to  give  mortals  messages 
from  the  gods. 

Hoping  to  learn  what  would  become  of  himself  and 
of  his  family,  Laius  sent  rich  gifts  to  the  temple  at 
Delphi,  asking  what  would  befall  him  in  the  coming 
years.  The  messenger  soon  returned,  but,  instead  of 
bringing  cheerful  news,  he  tremblingly  repeated  the  ora- 
cle's words :  "  King  Laius,  you  will  have  a  son  who  will 
murder  his  father,  marry  his  mother,  and  bring  destruc- 
tion upon  his  native  city ! " 

This  news  filled  the  king's  heart  with  horror;  and 
when,  a  few  months  later,  a  son  was  born  to  him,  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  kill  him  rather  than  let  him  live  to  com- 
mit such  fearful  crimes.  But  Laius  was  too  gentle  to  harm 
a  babe,  and  so  ordered  a  servant  to  carry  the  child 
out  of  the  town  a*nd  put  him  to  death. 

The  man  obeyed  the  first  part  of  the  king's  orders ; 
but  when  he  had  come  to  a  lonely  spot  on  the  mountain, 
he  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  kill  the  poor  little 
babe.  Thinking  that  the  child  would  soon  die  if  left  on 
this  lonely  spot,  the  servant  tied  him  to  a  tree,  and,  going 
back  to  the  city,  reported  that  he  had  gotten  rid  of  him. 

No  further  questions  were  asked,  and  all  thought  that 


30 

the  child  was  dead.  It  was  not  so,  however.  His  cries 
had  attracted  the  attention  of  a  passing  shepherd,  who 
carried  him  home,  and,  being  too  poor  to  keep  him, 
took  him  to  the  King  of  Corinth.  As  the  king  had  no 
children,  he  gladly  adopted  the  little  boy. 

When  the  queen  saw  that  the  child's  ankles  were  swol- 
len by  the  cord  by  which  he  had  been  hung  to  the  tree, 
she  tenderly  cared  for  him,  and  called  him  GEd'i-pus, 
which  means  "  the  swollen-footed."  This  nickname  clung 
to  the  boy,  who  grew  up  thinking  that  the  King  and 
Queen  of  Corinth  were  his  real  parents. 

IX.     THE   SPHINX'S   RIDDLE. 

WHEN  CEdipus  was  grown  up,  he  once  went  to  a  fes- 
tival, where  his  proud  manners  so  provoked  one 
of  his  companions,  that  he  taunted  him  with  being  only 
a  foundling.  CEdipus,  seeing  the  frightened  faces  around 
him,  now  for  the  first  time  began  to  think  that  perhaps  he 
had  not  been  told  the  truth  about  his  parentage.  So  he 
consulted  an  oracle. 

Instead  of  giving  him  a  plain  answef,  —  a  thing  which 
the  oracles  were  seldom  known  to  do,  —  the  voice  said, 
"  CEdipus,  beware !  You  are  doomed  to  kill  your  father, 
marry  your  mother,  and  bring  destruction  upon  your  na- 
tive city !  " 

Horrified  at  this  prophecy,  and  feeling  sure  that  the 
King  and  Queen  of  Corinth  were  his  parents,  and  that  the 
oracle's  predictions  threatened  misfortunes  to  them,  CEdi- 


pus  made  up  his  mind  to  leave  home  forever.  He  did  not 
even  dare  to  return  to  bid  his  family  good-by,  and  he 
started  out  alone  and  on  foot  to  seek  his  fortunes  else- 
where. 

As  he  walked,  he  thought  of  his  misfortunes,  and  grew 
very  bitter  against  the  cruel  goddess  of  fate,  whom  he 
had  been  taught  to  fear.  He  fancied  that  this  goddess 
could  rule  things  as  she  pleased,  and  that  it  was  she  who 
had  said  he  would  commit  the  dreadful  crimes  which  he 
was  trying  to  avoid. 

After  several  days'  aimless  wandering,  CEdipus  came  at 
last  to  some  crossroads.  There  he  met  an  old  man  riding 
in  a  chariot,  and  preceded  by  a  herald,  who  haughtily 
bade  CEdipus  make  way  for  his  master. 

As  CEdipus  had  been  brought  up  as  a  prince,  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  seeing  everybody  make  way  for  him.  He 
therefore  proudly  refused  to  stir;  and  when  the  herald 
raised  his  staff  to  strike,  CEdipus  drew  his  sword  and 
killed  him. 

The  old  man,  indignant  at  chis  deed  of  violence,  stepped 
out  ot  his  chariot  and  attacked  CEdipus.  Now,  the  ycung 
man  did  not  know  that  it  was  his  father  Laius  whom  he 
thus  met  for  the  first  time,  so  he  fell  upon  and  killed 
him  also.  The  servants  too  were  all  slain  when  they  in 
turn  attacked  him ;  and  then  CEdipus  calmly  continued 
his  journey,  little  suspecting  that  the  first  part  of  the 
oracle's  prediction  had  been  fulfilled. 

Soon  after  this  fight,  CEdipus  came  to  the  city  of 
Thebes.  The  streets  were  filled  with  excited  people,  all 
talking  at  once;  and  the  young  prince,  in  listening  to 
what  they  said,  soon  learned  the  cause  of  their  excitement 


33 

It  seems  that  a  terrible  monster  called  the  Sphinx  had 
taken  up  its  station  on  one  of  the  principal  roads  lead- 
ing to  the  town,  and  would  allow  no  one  to  pass  who 
could  not  answer  a  riddle  which  it  asked.  This  creature 
had  the  head  of  a  woman,  the  body  of  a  lion,  and  the 
wings  of  an  eagle;  and,  as  it  ate  up  all  those  who  could 
not  guess  its  riddle,  the  people  were  very  much  frightened. 

Many  persons  had  already  been  slain;  for,  although 
the  bravest  men  had  gone  out  to  kill  it,  they  had  lost 
their  lives  in  the  attempt,  as  no  one  could  harm  it  unless 
he  guessed  the  mysterious  riddle. 

Laius,  the  king,  hoping  to  learn  from  the  oracle  at 
Delphi  the  answer  to  the  riddle,  had  ridden  off  in  his 
chariot,  but  the  people  grew  more  excited  still,  when  a 
messenger  came  running  into  the  town,  and  said  that 
the  king  and  all  his  servants  had  been  killed  by  robbers, 
and  that  their  dead  bodies  had  been  found  in  the  middle 
of  the  road. 

CEdipus  paid  no  attention  to  this  news;  for  he  little 
suspected  that  the  old  man  whom  he  had  killed  was  the 
king,  whom  everybody  loved,  and  for  whom  they  now 
mourned  with  noisy  grief. 

He  was,  however,  deeply  interested  in  the  story  of  the 
Sphinx,  and  he  was  so  sure  that  he  could  guess  the 
riddle,  that  he  immediately  set  out  to  find  the  monster. 
He  walked  boldly  along  the  road  until  stopped  by  the 
Sphinx,  which  told  him  to  answer  this  riddle  if  he 
wished  to  live :  "  What  creature  walks  upon  four  feet 
in  the  morning,  upon  two  at  noon,  and  upon  three  at 
night  ? " 

After  a  few  moments'  deep  thought,  CEdipus  answered 

STO.  OF  GR. —  2 


34 

that  the  creature  was  man.  "For,"  said  he,  "in  the 
morning  of  life,  or  in  babyhood,  man  creeps  on  hands 
and  knees ;  at  noon,  or  in  manhood,  he  walks  erect ;  and 
at  evening,  or  in  old  age,  he  supports  his  tottering  steps 
with  a  staff." 

The  Sphinx's  riddle  was  guessed ;  and  the  monster, 
knowing  that  its  power  was  now  at  an  end,  tried  to  get 
away.  But  CEdipus  would  not  allow  it  to  do  so;  and, 
drawing  his  sword,  he  forced  it  back  until  it  fell  over 
a  precipice,  on  the  sharp  stones  below,  and  was .  dashed 
to  pieces. 

X.     BLINDNESS  AND    DEATH    OF   CEDIPUS. 

BCEOTIA  was  now  rid  of  the  Sphinx;  and  when  the 
The'bans  heard  the  joyful  news  of  its  death,  they 
welcomed  CEdipus  with  much  joy.  In  reward  for  his 
bravery,  they  gave  him  not  only  the  throne,  but  also 
the  hand  of  Jocasta,  the  widowed  queen.  It  was  thus 
that  CEdipus,  although  he  did  not  know  it,  fulfilled  the 
second  part  of  the  prophecy,  and  married  his  own 
mother. 

Several  years  now  passed  by,  during  which  CEdipus 
ruled  the  Thebans  so  wisely,  that  they  all  loved  him 
dearly,  and  went  to  him  for  advice  in  all  their  troubles. 
Finally  the  good  times  came  to  an  end ;  and  the  people 
were  again  terrified,  because  a  plague,  or  great  sickness, 
broke  out  in  the  city,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  died. 

All  kinds  of  medicines  were  tried,  but  without  effect ; 
and  all  the  gods  were  asked  to  lend  their  aid.     In  despair, 


35 

CEdipus  sent  a  messenger  to  Delphi  to  ask  the  oracle 
how  the  disease  could  be  stopped.  The  oracle  for  once 
gave  a  plain  answer,  and  said  that  the  plague  would 
cease  only  when  the  murderer  of  Laius  had  been  found 
and  punished. 

Investigations  were  now  made  for  the  first  time,  and 
it  was  found  that  CEdipus  was  the  one  who  had  slain 
the  king.  At  the  same  time,  the  servant  confessed  that 
he  had  not  killed  the  royal  child ;  and  the  shepherd 
told  how  he  had  found  the  babe  and  carried  him  to 
Corinth,  where  he  had  been  adopted  by  the  king. 

When  CEdipus  heard  all  this,  he  was  driven  almost 
mad  with  despair ;  for  now  he  knew  not  only  that  he  had 
murdered  his  father  and  married  his  mother,  but  that  it 
was  on  his  account  that  the  plague  had  caused  the  death 
of  so  many  people  in  Thebes. 

In  her  horror  and  grief  at  this  discovery,  Queen  Jo- 
casta  killed  herself.  When  CEdipus  learned  that  she  was 
dead,  he  ran  into  the  room  where  she  lay,  and  took  one 
of  the  buckles  which  fastened  her  dress  and  put  out  his 
eyes  with  it,  saying,  that,  since  they  had  beheld  such  a 
sorrowful  sight,  they  should  never  again  see  the  light  of 
day. 

To  rid  the  city  of  his  accursed  presence,  and  thus,  if 
possible,  save  it  from  the  threatened  destruction,  CEdipus 
banished  himself,  and  wandered  away,  old,  blind,  and  poor, 
for  he  would  take  none  of  his  riches  with  him. 

He  departed  sorrowfully,  leaving  his  kingdom  to  his 
two  sons,  E-te'o-cles  and  Pol-y-ni'ces,  and  telling  them 
to  care  for  their  sisters,  An-tig'o-ne  and  Is-me'ne. 

Ismene  wept   bitterly   when    she    said  good-by  to   her 


36 

father;  but  Antigone  placed  her  father's  hand  upon  her 
shoulder,  said  that  she  would  never  forsake  him,  and  left 
the  city,  tenderly  supporting  and  guiding  him. 

Father  and  daughter  wandered  thus  from  place  to  place, 
rinding  no  rest ;  for  all  the  people  shrank  from  even  look- 
ing upon  CEdipus,  who,  they  said,  was  evidently  accursed 
by  the  gods,  since  he  had  committed  such  frightful  crimes. 

After  many  days'  wandering  and  much  fatigue,  the 
exiles  arrived  at  last  on  the  border  of  a  dark  forest  held 
sacred  to  the  Furies,  —  the  goddesses  whose  duty  it  was  to 
punish  all  criminals  by  tormenting  them  as  long  as  they 
lived,  and  even  after  they  had  died. 

When  Antigone  described  to  her  poor  blind  father  the 
place  they  had  reached,  he  bade  her  remain  by  the  road- 
side, and,  groping  his  way,  soon  vanished  into  the  forest. 
He  had  scarcely  gone,  when  a  terrible  thunderstorm 
arose.  The  air  grew  dark,  the  lightning  flashed,  the 
thunder  rolled,  the  trees  bent  and  twisted  in  the  wind; 
and,  although  Antigone  called  her  father  again  and  again, 
she  heard  no  answering  cry. 

When  morning  came,  she  went  to  look  for  him,  but 
found  no  trace  of  him.  The  people  in  the  neighborhood 
then  told  her  that  the  Furies  had  dragged  her  father 
away  to  punish  him  for  his  crimes,  and  Antigone  sadly 
went  back  to  Thebes. 

As  soon  as  she  arrived  in  the  city,  Antigone  hastened 
to  the  palace  to  tell  her  brothers  and  sister  about  their 
father's  sad  death ;  but  when  she  entered  her  former 
happy  home,  she  learned  that  there  are  sadder  things  than 
death,  for  her  brothers  were  no  longer  friends,  and  had 
begun  a  terrible  quarrel. 


37 


XL  THE  BROTHERS'  QUARREL. 

THE  misfortunes  of  Thebes  had  not  come  to  an  end 
with  the  banishment  of  CEdipus,  and  fate  was  still 
against  the  unhappy  city.  The  plague,  it  is  true,  had 
stopped ;  but  the  two  young  princes  were  quarreling  about 
the  possession  of  the  throne. 

Both  wanted  to  reign,  and  neither  wished  to  share  the 
throne  with  his  brother.  After  much  dispute,  they  agreed 
at  last  that  each  should  reign  a  year  in  turn. 

Eteocles,  the  elder,  was  of  course  allowed  to  rule  dur- 
ing the  first  year ;  while  Polynices  went  to  pay  a  visit  to 
A-dras'tus,  King  of  Argos.  Here  he  was  warmly  wel- 
comed and  hospitably  entertained ;  but  when  the  year 
was  ended,  he  hurried  back  to  Thebes  to  reign  in  his 
turn. 

When  he  came  to  the  city,  however,  Eteocles  refused  to 
give  up  the  scepter,  and,  calling  out  his  guards,  made  use 
of  his  power  to  drive  Polynices  out  of  the  town.  This  was 
very  wrong,  for  a  promise  should  always  be  kept ;  and  it 
made  Polynices  so  angry,  that  he  said  he  would  return 
with  an  army,  and  force  his  brother  to  act  fairly. 

Polynices  therefore  hurried  back  to  Argos,  and  soon 
persuaded  Adrastus,  with  five  other  kings  and  noted 
warriors,  to  go  with  him  to  Thebes,  and  help  him  take 
the  throne  by  force. 

When  Eteocles  heard  that  seven  kings  were  coming 
with  a  large  army  to  make  him  give  up  the  throne  of 
Thebes,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  fight  hard  to  keep  it. 
After    strengthening    the    city   walls,    laying    in    a    great 


38 


stock  of  provisions,  and  securing  the  help  of  seven 
brave  allies,  Eteocles  closed  the  gates  of  Thebes,  and 
calmly  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  enemy. 

Meanwhile  the  seven  chiefs  were  marching  from 
Argos  to  Thebes.  They  came  at  last  to  the  forest  of 
Ne'me-a,  where  Hercules,  the  chief  hero  of  Argos,  had 
once  slain  a  terrible  lion.  This  monster  had  long  lived 
in   the   forest,  filling   the   hearts  of   all  the  people  with 

dread ;  and  when  Hercules 
came  out  of  the  forest, 
wearing  the  skin  of  the 
lion,  they  had  greatly  re- 
joiced. 

In  honor  of  Hercules' 
victory  over  the  Ne'me-an 
lion,  the  seven  chiefs 
stopped  in  this  spot  to 
celebrate  games,  which 
they  said  should  be  held  in 
that  neighborhood  every 
three  years.  This  festi- 
val was  ever  after  celebrated  thus;  and  when  the  people 
gathered  together  there  to  see  the  racing  and  boxing, 
they  loved  to  recall  the  memory  of  the  brave  lion  slayer, 
and  of  the  seven  kings  who  had  first  celebrated  the 
Nemean  games. 

When  Polynices  and  his  allies  came  at  last  to  Thebes, 
they  found  all  the  gates  closed ;  and  although  they  fought 
bravely,  and  tried  hard  to  enter  the  city,  they  were  kept 
at  bay  for  seven  long  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
the    people    inside    the    city,    and    those   without,    were 


Hercules  and  the  Nemean  Lion. 


39 

equally  tired  of  this  long  siege :  so  it  was  finally  agreed 
that  the  two  armies  should  meet  on  a  neighboring  plain 
and  fight  it  out. 

The  armies  were  led  by  the  two  brothers,  who  now 
hated  each  other  so  bitterly,  that,  instead  of  waiting 
for  the  signal  for  battle,  they  rushed  upon  each  other, 
and  both  fell  before  any  one  could  interfere. 

This  terrible  end  of  their  quarrel  filled  the  hearts  of 
both  armies  with  fear,  and  they  agreed  to  make  a  truce 
in  order  to  bury  their  chiefs.  As  it  was  customary  at 
that  time  to  burn  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  both  corpses 
were  laid  upon  the  funeral  pyre  side  by  side.  When  the 
wood  was  all  burned,  the  ashes  were  put  into  separate 
urns,  for  the  Greeks  used  to  tell  their  children  that  these 
brothers  hated  each  other  so  much  that  even  their  ashes 
would  not  mingle. 

This  story  of  CEdipus  and  his  family  is  only  a  myth, 
but  it  is  a  very  celebrated  one.  The  Greeks  wrote 
stories,  poems,  and  plays  about  it,  and  it  is  on  that 
account  that  it  should  be  known  by  every  one  who 
wishes  to  study  the  history  of  Greece. 


>XKc 


XII.     THE   TAKING   OF   THEBES. 

THE  terrible  death  of  the  two  brothers  Eteocles  and 
Polynices  did  not,  as  you  might  suppose,  end  the 
siege  of  Thebes.  No  sooner  were  their  funerals  over, 
than  both  armies  began  to  fight  again ;  and  they  con- 
tinued the  contest  until  all  the  chiefs  had  been  killed 
except  Adrastus  only. 


40 

Most  of  the  soldiers  had  also  been  slain:  so  Adrastus 
made  up  his  mind  to  go  home,  and  wait  until  the  sons  of 
these  fallen  heroes  were  old  enough  to  fight,  before  he 
went  on  with  the  war.  As  they  thought  it  their  duty  to 
avenge  all  injuries,  and  especially  the  death  of  a  rela- 
tive, Adrastus  had  no  trouble  in  getting  these  youths  to 
march  against  Thebes.  So  they  began  a  second  siege, 
which  was  known  as  the  War  of  the  E-pig'o-ni,  or  de- 
scendants, because  the  young  warriors  took  up  their 
fathers'  quarrel. 

Such  was  the  bravery  of  these  young  men,  that  they 
succeeded  where  their  fathers  had  failed,  and  after  a 
long  struggle  took  the  city  of  Thebes.  As  Polynices 
was  dead,  and  could  not  claim  the  scepter  he  had  so 
longed  to  possess,  they  put  his  son  Ther-san'der  upon 
the  throne. 

This  young  man  ruled  for  a  while  in  peace ;  but  be- 
cause his  sons  were  insane,  the  Thebans  thought  that 
the  gods  still  hated  the  race  of  CEdipus  :  so  they  drove 
these  princes  away,  and  chose  another  and  less  unlucky 
family  to  rule  over  them  instead. 

Even  the  daughters  of  CEdipus  were  very  unhappy  ; 
for  Antigone,  having  taken  the  part  of  her  brother  Poly- 
nices, was  put  to  death,  while  her  sister  Ismene  died 
of  grief. 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  race  of  CEdipus,  —  a  king 
who  has  been  considered  the  most  unhappy  man  that 
ever  lived,  because,  although  he  meant  to  be  good,  he 
was  forced   by  fate  to  commit  the  most  horrible  crimes. 


41 


XIII.     THE   CHILDHOOD   OF   PARIS. 

IN  those  days,  Pri'am  and  Hec'u-ba  were  King  and 
Queen  of  Troy  (or  Il'i-um), — a  beautiful  city  near 
the  coast  of  Asia  Minor,  almost  opposite  Athens.  They 
were  the  parents  of  a  large  family  of  sons  and  daugh- 
ters; and  among  the  sons  were  Hec'tor  and  Par'is,  young 
men  of  remarkable  strength  and  beauty. 

Paris  had  had  a  very  adventurous  life.  When  he  was 
but  a  little  babe,  his  mother  dreamed  that  she  saw  a 
flaming  brand  in  the  cradle,  in  the  place  where  the  child 
lay.  This  brand  seemed  to  set  fire  to  the  cradle  and  all 
the  palace;  and  the  queen,  awaking  with  a  start,  was 
overjoyed  to  find  that  it  was  nothing  but  a  dream. 

Men  in  those  days  believed  that  dreams  were  sent  by 
the  gods  to  warn  them  of  coming  events,  and  so  Hecuba 
was  very  anxious  to  know  what  the  burning  brand 
meant.  She  told  her  husband  all  about  it,  and  they 
finally  decided  to  ask  an  oracle  to  explain  the  dream. 

A  few  days  later  the  messenger  they  had  sent  to  the 
oracle  came  home,  and  Hecuba  shed  many  tears  when 
he  brought  word  that  the  child  Paris  was  destined  to 
bring '  destruction  upon  his  native  city. 

To  escape  this  calamity,  Priam  ordered  that  Paris 
should  be  carried  out  of  the  city,  and  that  he  should 
be  left  in  a  forest,  where  the  wild  beasts  would  eat 
him  up,  or  where  he  would  be  sure  to  die  from  hunger 
and  cold. 

Poor  little  Paris  was  therefore  lifted  out  of  his  com- 
fortable  cradle,   and   left  alone  in  the  woods,  where  he 


42 

cried  so  hard  that  a  passing  hunter  heard  him.  This 
man  was  so  sorry  for  the  poor  child,  that  he  carried 
him  home  to  his  wife,  who  brought  the  little  stranger  up 
with  her  own  children. 

As  he  lived  with  hunters,  Paris  soon  learned  their  ways ; 
and  he  became  so  active  that  when  he  was  quite  grown 
up  he  went  to  Troy  to  take  part  in  the  athletic  games, 
which  were  often  held  there  in  honor  of  the  gods. 
He  was  so  strong  that  he  easily  won  all  the  prizes, 
although  Hector  and  the  other  young  princes  were  also 
striving  for  them. 

When  Paris  went  up  to  receive  the  crown  of  wild  olive 
leaves  which  was  the  victor's  prize,  every  one  noticed  his 
likeness  to  the  royal  family ;  and  his  sister  Cas-san'dra, 
who  was  able  to  foretell  future  events,  said  that  he  was 
the  son  of  Priam  and  Hecuba,  and  that  he  would  bring 
great  misfortunes  upon  Troy. 

The  king  and  queen  paid  no  heed  to  these  words, 
but  gladly  welcomed  Paris  home,  and  lavished  all  kinds 
of  gifts  upon  him  to  make  up  for  their  cruelty  and  long 
neglect. 

Paris  was  so  fond  of  change  and  adventure,  that  he 
soon  grew  tired  of  court  life,  and  asked  Priam  for  a 
ship,  so  that  he  might  sail  off   to  Greece. 

This  request  was  readily  granted,  and  Paris  went 
away.  The  young  prince  sailed  from  island  to  island, 
and  came  at  last  to  the  southern  part  of  the  Pelopon- 
nesus, where  the  descendants  of  Hercules  had  founded 
the  city  of  Sparta.  Here  he  was  warmly  welcomed  by 
King  Men-e-la'us ;  but  this  king  was  obliged  to  leave 
home   shortly  after   the   arrival   of   Paris,   and    he   bade 


43 


Helen,  his  wife,  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world, 
do  all  she  could  to  entertain  the  noble  stranger. 

Helen  was  so  kind  to  Paris  that  he  soon  fell  in  love 
with  her.  His  greatest  wish  was  to  have  her  as  his 
wife :  so  he  began  to  tell  her  that  Ve'nus,  the  goddess 
of  love,  had  promised  him 
that  he  should  marry  the 
most  beautiful  woman 
the  world. 

Talking  thus    day  after 
day,  the  handsome   young 
Paris      finally      persuaded 
Helen    to   leave    her    hus- 
band and  home.     She  got 
on    board    of     his    vessel, 
and    went    with     him     to 
Troy     as     his     wife.      Of 
course,      this      wrongdoing 
could    not    bring    happiness; 
and  not  only  were  they  duly 
punished,  but,  as  you  will  soon  see,  the  crime  of   Paris 
brought  suffering  and  death  to  his  friends  as  well. 

When  Menelaus  came  home  and  found  that  his  guest 
had  run  away  with  his  wife,  he  was  very  angry,  and 
vowed  that  he  would  not  rest  until  he  had  punished 
Paris  and  won  back  the  beautiful  Helen. 

He  therefore  made  ready  for  war,  and  sent  word  to 
his  friends  and  relatives  to  come  and  help  him,  telling 
them  to  meet  him  at  Au'lis,  a  seaport,  where  they 
would  find  swift-sailing  vessels  to  carry  them  across  the 
sea  to  Troy. 


Menelaus. 


44 


XIV.     THE   MUSTER   OF  THE  TROOPS. 

WHEN  the  neighboring  kings  and  chiefs  received 
Menelaus'  message,  they  were  delighted;  for 
fighting  was  their  only  occupation,  and  they  enjoyed  the 
din  of  battle  more  than  anything  else.  They  began  to 
collect  their  soldiers,  polish  their  arms,  and  man  their 
vessels.  Then,  inviting  all  who  wished  to  join  them,  they 
started  out  for  Aulis,  where  they  formed  a  huge  army. 

Each  of  the  parties  was  led  by  its  own  king  or  chief. 
Some  of  these  chiefs  were  very  brave,  and  their  names 
are  still  well  known.  The  leading  ones  among  them 
were  Nes'tor,  the  wisest  man  of  his  day,  to  whom  every 
one  came  for  good  advice;  and  U-lys'ses,  the  crafty  or 
sly  king,  who  was  so  clever  that  he  could  easily  outwit 
all  men. 

There  were  also  A'jax,  the  strongest  man  of  his  time ; 
Thersander,  the  new  king  of  Thebes,  who  came  with  the 
Epigoni;  and  Ag-a-mem'non,  King  of  Mycenae,  Mene- 
laus' brother,  who  was  chosen  chief  of  the  whole  army. 

The  Greeks  never  began  any  undertaking  without  con- 
sulting the  oracles  to  find  out  how  it  would  end.  Aga- 
memnon, therefore,  consulted  one  of  these  soothsayers, 
who  said  that  Troy  would  never  be  taken  unless  A-chil'les 
fought  with  the  Greeks. 

When  they  heard  this  answer,  the  chiefs  immediately 
asked  who  Achilles  was,  and  they  soon  learned  all  about 
him.  He  was  a  young  prince  of  whom  it  had  been  fore- 
told at  the  time  of  his  birth  that  he  would  be  the  greatest 
warrior  of  his  age,  and  that  he  would  die   young.      His 


45 

mother,  who  loved  him  dearly,  shed  many  tears  when  she 
heard  these  words,  and  made  up  her  mind  to  do  all  she 
could  to  prevent  this  prophecy  from  coming  true. 

She  first  carried  Achilles,  when  but  a  baby,  to  the 
river  Styx,  for  it  was  said  that  those  who  bathed  in  its 
waters  could  never  be  wounded. 

Afraid  to  let  go  of  her  child  for  fear  he  might  drown, 
but  anxious  to  make  sure  that  the  waters  should  touch 
every  part  of  him,  the  mother  plunged  him  into  the 
rushing  tide,  holding  him  fast  by  one  heel. 

This  she  held  so  tight  that  the  waters  never  even 
wet  it;  and  it  was  only  long  after,  when  too  late  to 
remedy  it,  that  an  oracle  told  her  that  Achilles  could  be 
wounded  in  his  heel,  which  the  waters  of  the  Styx  had 
not  touched.  As  soon  as  this  good  mother  heard  the 
first  news  of  the  coming  war,  her  heart  was  troubled ; 
for  she  knew  that  Achilles,  who  was  now  a  young  man, 
would  want  to  join  the  army,  and  she  was  afraid  of  losing 
him. 

To  prevent  his  hearing  anything  about  the  war,  she 
persuaded  him  to  visit  the  King  of  Scyros.  There, 
under  pretext  of  a  joke,  he  was  induced  to  put  on  girl's 
clothes,  and  to  pretend  that  he  was  a  woman. 

The  Greeks,  after  hearing  the  oracle's  words,  sent 
messengers  for  Achilles ;  but  they  could  not  find  him, 
as  he  had  left  home,  and  no  one  would  tell  them  where 
he  had  gone.  As  it  was  of  no  use  to  set  out  without 
him,  according  to  the  oracle's  answer,  which  they  thor- 
oughly believed,  the  army  lingered  at  Aulis  in  despair. 

Ulysses,  seeing  that  they  would  never  start  unless 
Achilles   were  found,  now  offered   to   go   and   get   him. 


46 

Disguised  as  a  peddler,  with  a  pack  upon  his  back,  he 
went  first  to  Achilles'  home,  where  the  chattering  maids 
told  him  all  he  wished  to  know,  and  thence  he  went  to 
the  Island  of  Scyros. 

Achilles  was  so  well  disguised  that  Ulysses  could  not 
tell  him  from  the  king's  daughters  and  their  maids :  so 
he  made  use  of  a  trick  to  find  him  out.  Among  the 
trinkets  in  his  pack,  he  put  a  sword  of  fine  workmanship, 
and,  entering  the  palace,  spread  out  his  wares  before  the 
admiring  maidens.  They  all  gathered  about  him ;  but, 
while  the  real  girls  went  into  raptures  over  his  orna- 
ments, Achilles  grasped  the  sword,  drew  it  from  the 
scabbard,  Carefully  tested  the  blade,  and  swung  it  with 
a  strong  arm. 

Of  course,  Ulysses  then  easily  saw  that  he  was  not 
a  girl,  and,  slipping  up  to  him,  managed  to  whisper 
news  of  the  coming  war,  and  won  his  promise  to  join 
the  army  at  Aulis  in  a  few  days. 


j^Kc 


XV.     THE   SACRIFICE   OF   IPHIGENIA. 

TRUE  to  his  promise,  Achilles  soon  came  to  Aulis 
with  his  well-trained  soldiers,  the  Myr'mi-dons,  and 
with  him  came  his  friend  Pa-tro'clus.  All  were  now 
eager  to  start,  and  ready  to  embark ;  but  unfortunately 
there  was  no  favorable  wind  to  fill  their  sails  and  waft 
them  over  to  Asia  Minor. 

Day  after  day  they  waited,   and  offered    sacrifices   to 
the  gods,  but  all  in  vain.     At  last  they  again   consulted 


47 

the  oracle,  who  said  that  the  wind  would  not  blow  until 
Iph-i-ge-ni'a,  Agamemnon's  daughter,  were  offered  up  in 
sacrifice  to  Di-an'a,  goddess  of  the  moon  and  the  chase, 
whom  this  king  had  once  offended. 

Agamemnon  at  first  said  that  he  would  not  sacrifice  his 
daughter,  but  finally  his  companions  persuaded  him  to  do 
so.  Just  as  the  priest  was  about  to  kill  the  maiden  on  the 
altar,  however,  the  goddess  Diana  came,  and  carried  her  off 
unharmed,  leaving  a  deer  to  be  sacrificed  in  her  stead. 

The  deer  was  killed,  the  wind  rose,  the  sails  filled,  and 
the  Greek  fleet  soon  came  within  sight  of  the  high  walls 
and  towers  of  Troy.  There,  contrary  to  their  expecta- 
tions, the  Greeks  found  the  people  ready  to  fight  them ; 
but,  after  many  days'  struggle,  they  saw  that  they  had 
made  no  great  advance. 

On  the  wide  plain  which  stretched  out  between  the 
city  and  the  sea,  the  Greek  and  Tro'jan  armies  fought 
many  a  battle ;  and  sometimes  one  party,  and  sometimes 
the  other,  had  the  victory.  The  men  on  both  sides  had 
been  trained  to  handle  their  weapons  with  great  skill, 
and  there  were  many  fights  in  which  the  Greek  heroes 
met  the  bravest  Trojans. 

Nine  years  passed  thus  in  continual  warfare,  but  even 
then  the  Greeks  were  as  far  from  taking  the  town  as 
on  the  first  day ;  and  the  Trojans,  in  spite  of  all  their 
courage,  had  not  been  able  to  drive  their  enemies  away. 


48 


XVI.     THE   WRATH    OF   ACHILLES. 

IN  all  their  battles,  the  booty  won  by  the  Greeks 
from  the  enemy  had  been  divided  among  the  chiefs 
and  soldiers,  and  on  one  occasion  female  slaves  were 
given  to  Agamemnon  and  Achilles.  These  girls  were 
not  born  slaves,  but  were  captives  of  war  reduced  to 
slavery,  as  was  then  the  custom ;  for,  while  the  men  and 
boys  were  always  killed,  the  women  and  girls  were  forced 
to  be  the  servants  of  the  victors. 

Now,  it  happened  that  the  slave  given  to  Agamemnon 
was  the  daughter  of  a  priest  of  A-pol'lo.  He  was  very 
sorry  when  he  heard  she  had  fallen  into  the  hands 'of 
the  Greeks,  and  sent  a  message  to  Agamemnon,  offering 
to  give  him  a  large  sum  of  money  if  he  would  only 
set  her  free. 

Agamemnon  would  not  accept  the  money,  and  sent 
a  rude  message  to  the  priest,  who,  in  anger,  asked 
Apollo  to  avenge  this  insult  by  sending  a  plague  upon 
the  Greeks.  The  god  heard  and  granted  this  prayer, 
and  soon  all  the  soldiers  in  the  Greek  camp  were  suffer- 
ing from  a  terrible  disease,  of  which  many  of  them  died.- 

As  no  remedy  could  relieve  the  sufferers,  the  Greek 
leaders  consulted  an  oracle,  to  find  out  how  the  plague 
might  be  stopped.  Then  they  learned  that  Apollo  was 
angry  with  Agamemnon  because  he  had  refused  to  give  up 
his  slave,  and  that  the  Greeks  would  continue  to  suffer 
until  he  made  up  his  mind  to  give  her  back  to  her  father. 

Thus  forced  to  give  her  up  to  save  his  men  from  fur- 
ther suffering  and  even  from  death,  Agamemnon  angrily 


49 

said  he  would  take  Achilles'  slave  instead,  and  he  had 
her  brought  to  wait  upon  him  in  his  tent. 

Achilles,  who  wanted  to  save  the  Greeks  from  the 
plague,  allowed  the  maiden  to  depart,  warning  Agamem- 
non, however,  that  he  would  no  longer  fight  for  a  chief 
who  could  be  so  selfish  and  unjust.  As  soon  as  the  girl 
had  gone,  therefore,  he  laid  aside  his  fine  armor;  and 
although  he  heard  the  call  for  battle,  and  the  din  of  fight- 
ing, he  staid  quietly  within  his  tent. 

While  Achilles  sat  thus  sulking  day  after  day,  his  com- 
panions were  bravely  fighting.  In  spite  of  their  bravery, 
however,  the  Trojans  were  gaining  the  advantage;  for, 
now  that  Achilles  was  no  longer  there  to  fill  their  hearts 
with  terror,  they  fought  with  new  courage. 

The  Greeks,  missing  the  bright  young  leader  who 
always  led  them  into  the  midst  of  the  fray,  were  gradu- 
ally driven  back  by  the  Trojans,  who  pressed  eagerly 
forward,  and  even  began  to  set  fire  to  some  of  the 
Greek  ships. 

Achilles'  friend,  Patroclus,  who  was  fighting  at  trie 
head  of  the  Greeks,  now  saw  that  the  Trojans,  unless 
they  were  checked,  would  soon  destroy  the  whole  army, 
and  he  rushed  into  Achilles'  tent  to  beg  him  to  come 
and  help  them  once  more. 

His  entreaties  were  vain.  Achilles  refused  to  move  a 
step;  but  he  consented  at  last  to  let  Patroclus  wear  his 
armor,  and,  thus  disguised,  make  a  last  attempt  to  rally 
the  Greeks  and  drive  back  the  Trojans. 

Patroclus  started  out,  and,  when  the  Trojans  saw  the 
well-known  armor,  they  shrank  back  in  terror,  for  they 
greatly   feared    Achilles.     They  soon  saw  their  mistake, 

STO.   OF  GB.  A. 


5o 

however;  and  Hector,  rushing  forward,  killed  Patroclus, 
tore  the  armor  off  his  body,  and  retired  to  put  it  on  in 
honor  of  his  victory. 

Then  a  terrible  struggle  took  place  between  the  Trojans 
and  the  Greeks  for  the  possession  of  Patroclus'  body. 
The  news  of  his  friend's  death  had  quickly  been  carried 
to  Achilles,  and  had  roused  him  from  his  indifferent 
state.  Springing  upon  the  wall  that  stretched  before  the 
camp,  he  gave  a  mighty  shout,  at  the  sound  of  which 
the  Trojans  fled,  while  Ajax  and  Ulysses  brought  back 
the  body  of   Patroclus. 


*©» 


XVII.     DEATH    OF   HECTOR  AND   ACHILLES. 

THE  next  day,  having  secured  armor  and  weapons, 
Achilles  again  went  out  to  fight.  His  purpose  was 
to  meet  Hector,  and,  by  killing  him,  to  avenge  his  dead 
friend,  Patroclus.  He  therefore  rushed  up  and  down  the 
battlefield;  and  when  at  last  he  came  face  to  face  with 
his  foe,  they  closed  in  deadly  fight.  The  two  young  men, 
each  the  champion  warrior  of  his  army,  were  now  fight- 
ing with  the  courage  of  despair;  for,  while  Achilles 
was  thirsting  to  avenge  his  friend,  Hector  knew  that  the 
fate  of  Troy  depended  mostly  upon  his  arm.  The  strug- 
gle was  terrible.  It  was  watched  with  breathless  interest 
by  the  armies  on  both  sides,  and  by  aged  Priam  and 
the  Trojan  women  from  the  walls  of  Troy.  In  spite  of 
Hector's  courage,  in  spite  of  all  his  skill,  he  was  doomed 
to  die,  and  soon  he  fell  under  the  blows  of  Achilles. 


5i 


Then,  in  sight  of  both  armies  and  of  Hector's  weeping 
family,  Achilles  took  off  his  enemy's  armor,  bound  the 
dead  body  by  the  feet  to  his  chariot,  and  dragged  it  three 
times  around  the  city  walls  before  he  went  back  to  camp 
to  mourn  over  the  remains  of  Patroclus. 

That  night,  guided  by  one  of  the  gods,  old  King  Priam 
came  secretly  into  the  Greek  camp,  and,  stealing  into 
Achilles'  tent,  fell  at  his  feet.  He  had  come  to  beg 
Achilles  to  give  back  the  body  of  Hector,  that  he  might 
weep  over  it,  and  bury  it  with  all  the  usual  ceremonies 
and  honors. 

Touched  by  the  old  man's  tears,  and  ready  now  to 
listen  to  his  better  feelings,  Achilles  kindly  raised  the 
old  king,  comforted  him  with  gentle  words,  and  not  only 
gave  back  the  body,  but  also  promised  that  there  should 
be  a  truce  of  a  few  days,  so  that  both  armies  could 
bury  their  dead  in  peace. 

The  funerals  were  held,  the  bodies  burned,  the  usual 
games  celebrated ;  and  when  the  truce  was  over,  the  long 
war  was  begun  again.  After  several  other  great  fights, 
Achilles  died  from  a  wound  in  his  heel  caused  by  a 
poisoned  arrow  that  was  treacherously  shot  by  Paris. 

The  sorrowing  Greeks  then  buried  the  young  hero  on 
the  wide  plain  between  Troy  and  the  sea.  This  spot 
has  been  visited  by  many  people  who  admired  the  brave 
young  hero  of  the  Il'i-ad  (see  p.  60). 


52 


XVIII.     THE   BURNING   OF  TROY. 

AS  the  valor  of  the  Greeks  had  proved  of  no  avail 
during  the  ten-years'  war,  and  as  they  were  still 
as  far  as  ever  from  taking  Troy,  Ulysses  the  crafty 
now  proposed  to  take  the  city  by  a  stratagem,  or  trick. 

The  Greeks,  obeying  his  directions,  built  a  wooden 
horse  of  very  large  size.  It  was  hollow,  and  the  space 
inside  it  was  large  enough  to  hold  a  number  of  armed 
men.  When  this  horse  was  finished,  and  the  men  were 
hidden  in  it,  the  Greeks  all  embarked  as  if  to  sail 
home. 

The  Trojans,  who  had  watched  them  embark  and  sail 
out  of  sight,  rushed  down  to  the  shore  shouting  for  joy, 
and  began  to  wander  around  the  deserted  camp.  They 
soon  found  the  huge  wooden  horse,  and  were  staring 
wonderingly  at  it,  when  they  were  joined  by  a  Greek 
who  had  purposely  been  left  behind,  and  who  now  crept 
out  of  his  hiding  place. 

In  answer  to  their  questions,  this  man  said  that  his 
companions  had  deserted  him,  and  that  the  wooden  horse 
had  been  built  and  left  there  as  an  offering  to  Po-sei'don 
(or  Nep'tune),  god  of  the  sea.  The  Trojans,  believing 
all  this,  now  decided  to  keep  the  wooden  horse  in  memory 
of  their  long  siege,  and  the  useless  attempt  of  the  Greeks 
to  take  Troy. 

They  therefore  joyfully  dragged  the  huge  animal  into 
the  city ;  and,  as  the  gates  were  not  large  enough  for  it 
to  pass  through,  they  tore  down  part  of  their  strong 
walls. 


53 

That  very  night,  while  all  the  Trojans  were  sleeping 
peacefully  for  the  first  time  in  many  years,  without  any 
fear  of  a  midnight  attack,  the  Greek  vessels  noiselessly 
sailed  back  to  their  old  moorings.  The  soldiers  landed 
in  silence,  and,  marching  up  softly,  joined  their  compan- 
ions, who  had  crept  out  of  the  wooden  horse,  and  had 
opened  all  the  gates  to  receive  them. 

Pouring  into  Troy  on  all  sides  at  once,  the  Greeks  now 
began  their  work  of  destruction,  killing,  burning,  and  steal- 
ing everywhere.  The  Trojan  warriors,  awakening  from 
sleep,  vainly  tried  to  defend  themselves;  but  all  were 
killed  except  Prince  yE-ne'as,  who  escaped  with  his  family 
and  a  few  faithful  friends,  to  form  a  new  kingdom  in 
Italy. 

All  the  women,  including  even  the  queen  and  her 
daughters,  were  made  prisoners  and  carried  away  by  the 
Greek  heroes.  The  men  were  now  very  anxious  to  return 
home  with  the  booty  they  had  won ;  for  they  had  done 
what  they  had  long  wished  to  do,  and  Troy,  the  beautiful 
city,  was  burned  to  the  ground. 

All  this,  as  you  know,  happened  many  years  ago,  —  so 
many  that  no  one  knows  just  how  long.  The  city  thus 
destroyed  was  never  rebuilt.  Some  years  ago  a  German 
traveler  began  to  dig  on  the  spot  where  it  once  stood. 
Deep  down  under  the  ground  he  found  the  remains  of 
beautiful  buildings,  some  pottery,  household  utensils,  weap- 
ons, and  a  great  deal  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  and  bronze. 
All  these  things  were  blackened  or  partly  melted  by  fire, 
showing  that  the  Greeks  had  set  fire  to  the  city,  as  their 
famous  old  poems  relate. 

The  Greeks  said,  however,  that  their  gods  were  very 


54 


angry  with    many  of   their  warriors   on 
account  of  the  cruelty  they  showed  on 
that   dreadful    night,   and   that  many  of 
them  had  to  suffer  great  hardships  be- 
fore they  reached  home.     Some  were 
tossed     about    by    the    winds    and 
waves    for    many    long    years,   and 
suffered  shipwrecks.     Oth- 
ers reached  home  safely, 
only  to  be  murdered  by 
relatives      who      had 
m\      taken  possession   of 
their  thrones  during 
their-  long  absence. 

Only  a  few  among 
these  heroes  escaped 
with  their  lives,  and 
wandered  off  to  other 
countries    to     found 
new     cities.        Thus 
arose  many  Greek  colonies  in    Sicily 
and  southern  Italy,  which  were  called 
Great  Greece,  in  honor  of  the  country 
from    which    the    first     settlers    had 
come. 

As  you  have  already  seen,  Prince  /Eneas  was  among 
these  Trojans.  After  many  exciting  adventures,  which 
you  will  be  able  to  read  in  the  "  Story  of  Rome,"  he  sailed 
up  the  Ti'ber  River,  and  landed  near  the  place  where  one 
of  his  descendants  was  to  found  the  present  capital  of 
Italy,  which  is  one  of  the  most  famous  cities  in  the  world. 


Cup. 


55 


XIX.     HEROIC    DEATH    OF   CODRUS. 

YOU  remember,  do  you  not,  how  the  sons  of  Pelops 
had  driven  the  Heraclidae,  or  sons  of  Hercules,  out 
of  the  peninsula  which  was  called  the  Peloponnesus  ? 
This  same  peninsula  is  now  called  Mo-re'a,  or  the  mul- 
berry leaf,  because  it  is  shaped  something  like  such  a  leaf, 
as  you  will  see  by  looking  at  your  map. 

The  Heraclidae  had  not  gone  away  willingly,  but  were 
staying  in  Thessaly,  in  the  northern  part  of  Greece,  where 
they  promised  to  remain  one  hundred  years  without  mak- 
ing any  attempt  to  come  back. 

Shortly  after  the  end  of  the  Trojan  War,  this  truce  of 
a  hundred  years  came  to  an  end ;  and  the  Heraclidae 
called  upon  their  neighbors  the  Dorians  to  join  them, 
and  help  them  win  back  their  former  lands. 

Led  by  three  brave  chiefs,  the  allies  passed  through 
Greece  proper,  along  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth,  and,  spread- 
ing all  over  the  Peloponnesus,  soon  took  possession  of 
the  principal  towns.  The  leading  members  of  the  family 
of  Hercules  took  the  title  of  kings,  and  ruled  over  the 
cities  of  Argos,  Mycenae,  and  Spar'ta. 

The  Dorians,  who  had  helped  the  Heraclidae  win  back 
their  former  possessions,  now  saw  that  the  land  here  was 
better  than  their  home  in  the  mountains,  so  they  drove 
all  the  rest  of  the  Ionians  out  of  the  country,  and 
settled  there  also. 

Thus  driven  away  by  the  Dorians  and  the  Heraclidae, 
these  Ionians  went  to  Athens,  to  the  neighboring  islands, 
and  even  to  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor,  south  of  the  ruined 


56 

city  of  Troy,  where  they  settled  in  great  numbers.  They 
called  the  strip  of  land  which  they  occupied  Ionia,  and 
founded  many  towns,  some  of  which,  such  as  Eph'e-sus 
and  Mi-le'tus,  were  destined  to  become  famous. 

Of  course,  the  Ionians  were  very  angry  at  thus  being 
driven  away  from  home ;  and  those  who  had  gone .  to 
live  in  Athens  soon  asked  Co'drus,  the  Athenian  king, 
to  make  war -against  the    Heraclidae  of  Sparta. 

The  two  armies  soon  met,  and  prepared  for  battle. 
Codrus,  having  consulted  an  oracle,  had  learned  that 
the  victory  would  be  given  to  the  army  whose  king 
should  be  killed,  so  he  nobly  made  up  his  mind  to  die 
for  the  good  of  his  people. 

Instead  of  going  into  battle  in  royal  dress,  with  his 
guards  all  around  him,  as  was  his  habit,  he  dressed 
himself  like  an  ordinary  soldier,  and  went  forward  until 
he  stood  in  the  very  first  rank  of  the  army.  Then  he 
rushed  boldly  into  the  midst  of  the  foe. 

Of  course,  he  was  soon  cut  down;  but  the  Athenians, 
seeing  his  courage,  and  learning  why  he  had  thus  risked 
his  life,  fought  with  such  valor  that  they  defeated  the 
Spar'tan  forces,  and  forced  them  to  retreat. 

The  victory  had  been  won;  but  the  Athenians  were 
so  sorry  to  lose  their  beloved  king,  that  they  could 
not  rejoice,  and  sadly  returned  home,  carrying  the 
body  of  Codrus.  Such  was  the  admiration  of  all  the 
people  for  this  act  of  royal  courage,  that  they  vowed 
they  would  never  again  call  any  one  by  the  name  of 
king. 

When  Codrus  had  been  buried,  therefore,  the  Athe- 
nians-gave his  son  and  heir  the  government  of  the  city, 


57 

calling  him  archon,  or  chief  for  life,  —  a  title  which  was 
borne  by  many  rulers  after  him. 

The  Spartans,  who  had  come  into  Attica  to  fight  the 
Athenians,  retreated  hastily  after  their  defeat,  and  re- 
turned to  their  city,  where  they  settled,  forcing  all  the 
people  who  dwelt  in  the  neighborhood  either  to  leave 
the  country  or  to  serve  them  as  their  slaves. 

The  return  of  the  Heraclidae  into  the  Peloponnesus 
is  the  last  event  of  the  Heroic  Age,  and  now  real  history 
begins.  After  this,  it  is  no  longer  necessary  to  try  to  find 
out  the  truth  hidden  in  the  old  tales  which  were  handed 
down  from  father  to  son,  and  which  were  the  only  fairy 
stories  the  Greek  children  knew ;  for  henceforth  records 
were  kept  of  all  the  principal  events.  . 


i&ic 


XX.     THE    BLIND    POET. 

THREE  or  four  centuries  after  the  siege  of  Troy, 
there  lived  a  poor  old  blind  poet  who  wandered 
about  from  place  to  place,  playing  upon  his  lyre,  and 
reciting  wonderful  verses  which  told  about  the  adven- 
tures of  the  Greek  heroes,  and  their  great  deeds  during 
the  Trojan  War. 

We  are  told  that  this  old  man,  whose  name  was 
Ho'mer,  had  not  always  been  poor  and  blind,  but  that, 
having  embarked  by  mistake  upon  a  vessel  manned  by 
pirates,  he  not  only  had  been  robbed  of  all  his  wealth, 
and  blinded,  but  had  been  left  upon  a  lonely  shore. 

By  some  happy  chance,  poor  blind   Homer  found  his 


58 


way  to  the  inhabited  parts  of  the  country,  where  he 
soon  won  many  friends.  Instead  of  spending  all  his 
time  in  weeping  over  his  troubles,  Homer  tried  to  think 
of  some  way  in  which  he  could  earn  his  living,  and  at 
the  same  time  give  pleasure  to  others.  He  soon  found 
such  a  way  in  telling  the  stories  of  the  past  to  all  who 
cared  to  listen  to  them. 

As  the  people  in  those  days  had  no  books,  no  schools, 
and  no  theaters,  these  stories  seemed 
very  wonderful.  Little  by  lit- 
tle Homer  turned  them  into 
verses  so  grand  and  beau- 
tiful that  we  admire 
them  still ;  and  these 
he  recited,  accompany- 
ing himself  on  a  lyre, 
which  he  handled  with 
much  skill.  As  he  wan- 
dered thus  from  place 
to  place,  old  and  young 
crowded  around  him  to 
listen  to  his  tales;  and  some 
young  men  were  so  struck 
by  them  that  they  followed 
him  everywhere,  until  they  too  could  repeat  them.  This 
was  quite  easy  to  do,  because  Homer  had  put  them  into 
the  most  beautiful  and  harmonious  language  the  world  has 
ever  known.  As  soon  as  these  young  men  had  learned 
a  few  of  the  tales,  they  too  began  to  travel  from  place 
to  place,  telling  them  to  all  they  met;  and  thus  Homer's 
verses  became  well  known  throughout  all  Greece. 


Homer. 


6o 


The  Greeks  who  could  recite  Homer's  poems  went 
next  to  the  islands  and  Asia  Minor,  stopping  at  every 
place  where  Greek  was  spoken,  to  tell  about  the  wrath 
of  Achilles,  the  death  of  Patroclus,  Hector,  or  old 
Priam,  the  burning  of  Troy,  the  wanderings  of  Ulysses, 
and  the  return  of  the  Greeks.  Other  youths  learned 
the  poems ;  and  so,  although  they  were  not  written 
down  for  many  a  year,  they  were  constantly  recited 
and  sung,  and  thus  kept  alive  in  the  memory  of  the 
people. 

As  for  Homer,  their  author,  we  know  but  little  about 
him.  We  are  told  that  he  lived  to  be  very  old,  and  that 
although  he  was  poor  as  long  as  he  lived,  and  forced  to 
earn  his  living  by  reciting  his  songs,  he  was  greatly 
honored  after  his  death. 

His  two  great  heroic  poems  —  the  Iliad,  telling  all 
about  the  Trojan  War,  and  the  Od'ys-sey,  relating  how 
Ulysses  sailed  about  for  ten  years  on  his  way  home 
from  Troy  —  were  finally  written  down,  and  kept  so  care- 
fully that  they  can  still  be  read  to-day.  Such  was  the 
admiration  felt  for  these  poems,  that  some  years  after 
Homer's  death  an  attempt  was  made  to  find  out  more 
about  him,  and  about  the  place  where  he  was  born. 

Fifty  cities  claimed  the  honor  of  giving  him  birth; 
but,  although  it  was  never  positively  found  out  where 
he  was  born,  most  people  thought  the  Island  of  Chi'os 
was  his  birthplace.  The  Greek  towns,  wishing  to  show 
how  much  they  admired  the  works  of  Homer,  used  to 
send  yearly  gifts  to  this  place,  the  native  land  of  the 
grandest  poet  the  world  has  ever  known. 


6i 


XXI.     THE   RISE   OF   SPARTA. 

THE  city  of  Sparta,  founded  in  the  days  of  the 
Pelasgians,  and  once  ruled  over  by  Menelaus  and 
Helen,  had  fallen,  as  we  have  seen,  into  the  hands  of 
the  Heraclidae  when  they  came  back  to  the  Peloponne- 
sus after  their  exile  of  a  hundred  years.  It  was  first 
governed  by  A-ris-to-de'mus,  one  of  their  three  leaders; 
and,  as  records  soon  began  to  be  kept,  we  know  a  great 
deal  about  the  early  history  of  this  famous  place. 

As  the  town  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  Heraclidae, 
and  had  been  ruled  by  one  of  their  ancestors,  called 
Lac-e-dae'mon,  they  called  it  by  his  name,  and  the  coun- 
try around  it  they  named  La-co'ni-a.  Having  won  back 
the  town  by  fighting,  the  Heraclidae  said  that  they  would 
attend  to  war  and  politics,  and  make  the  conquered 
people  till  the  ground. 

The  old  inhabitants  of  Laconia,  therefore,  went  on  liv- 
ing in  the  country,  where  they  sowed  and  harvested  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Spartans.  All  the  prisoners  of  war, 
however,  became  real  slaves.  They  were  obliged  to  serve 
the  Spartans  in  every  way,  and  were  called  He'lots. 

When  Aristodemus  died,  his  twin  sons  were  both 
made  kings ;  and,  as  each  of  them  left  his  throne  to  his 
descendants,  Sparta  had  two  kings,  instead  of  one,  from 
this  time  on.  One  member  of  the  royal  family,  although 
he  never  bore  the  name  of  king,  is  the  most  noted  man 
in  Spartan  history.  This  is  Ly-cur'gus,  the  son  of  one 
ruler,  the  brother  of  another,  and  the  guardian  of  an 
infant  king  named  Char-i-la'us. 


62 


Lycurgus  was  a  thoroughly  good  and  upright  man. 
We  are  told  that  the  mother  of  the  baby  king  once 
offered  to  put  her  child  to  death  that  Lycurgus  might 
reign.  Fearing  for  the  babe's  safety,  Lycurgus  made 
believe  that  he  agreed  to  this  plan,  and  asked  that  the 
child  should  be  given  to  him  to  kill  as  he  saw  fit. 

Lycurgus,  having  thus  obtained  possession  of  the  babe, 
carried  him  to  the  council  hall.  There  the  child  was 
named  king ;  and  Lycurgus  promised  that  he  would  watch 
carefully  over  him,  educate  him  well,  and  rule  for  him 
until  he  should  be  old  and  wise  enough  to  reign  alone. 

While  he  was  thus  acting  as  ruler,  Lycurgus  made 
use  of  his  power  to  bring  many  new  customs  into  Sparta, 
and  to  change  the  laws.  As  he  was  one  of  the  wisest 
men  who  ever  lived,  he  knew  very  well  that  men  must 
be  good  if  they  would  be  happy.  He  also  knew  that 
health  is  far  better  than  riches ;  and,  hoping  to  make  the 
Spartans  both  good  and  healthy,  he  won  them  over  little 
by  little  to  obey  a  new  set  of  laws,  which  he  had  made 
after  visiting  many  of  the  neighboring  countries,  and 
learning  all  he  could. 


*<Kc 


XXII.     THE   SPARTAN   TRAINING. 

THE  laws  which  Lycurgus  drew  up  for  the  Spartans 
were  very  strict.  For  instance,  as  soon  as  a  babe 
came  into  the  world,  the  law  ordered  that  the  father 
should  wrap  it  up  in  a  cloak,  and  carry  it  before  a  coun- 
cil made  up  of  some  of  the  oldest  and  wisest  men. 


63 

They  looked  at  the  child  carefully,  and  if  it  seemed 
strong  and  healthy,  and  was  neither  crippled  nor  in  any 
way  deformed,  they  said  that  it  might  live.  Then  they 
gave  it  back  to  the  father,  and  bade  him  bring  up  the 
child  for  the  honor  of  his  country. 

If  the  babe  was  sickly  or  deformed,  it  was  carried  off 
to  a  mountain  near  by,  and  left  alone;  so  that  it  soon 
died  of  hunger  or  thirst,  or  was  eaten  up  by  the  wild 
beasts. 

The  Spartan  children  staid  under  their  father's  roof 
and  in  their  mother's  care  until  they  were  seven  years 
old.  While  in  the  nursery,  they  were  taught  all  the 
beautiful  old  Greek  legends,  and  listened  with  delight  to 
the  stories  of  the  ancient  heroes,  and  especially  to  the 
poems  of  Homer  telling  about  the  war  of  Troy  and 
the  adventures  of  Ulysses. 

As  soon  as  the  children  had  reached  seven  years  of 
age,  they  were  given  over  to  the  care  of  the  state,  and 
allowed  to  visit  their  parents  but  seldom.  The  boys  were 
put  in  charge  of  chosen  men,  who  trained  them  to  be- 
come strong  and  brave ;  while  the  girls  were  placed  under 
some  good  and  wise  woman,  who  not  only  taught  them 
all  they  needed  to  know  to  keep  house  well,  but  also 
trained  them  to  be  as  strong  and  fearless  as  their 
brothers.  All  Spartan  boys  were  allowed  but  one  rough 
woolen  garment,  which  served  as  their  sole  covering  by 
night  and  by  day,  and  was  of  the  same  material  in  sum- 
mer as  in  winter. 

They  were  taught  very  little  reading,  writing,  and  arith- 
metic, but  were  carefully  trained  to  recite  the  poems 
of  Homer,  the  patriotic  songs,  and  to  accompany  them- 


64 

selves  skillfully  on  the  lyre.  They  were  also  obliged  to 
sing  in  the  public  chorus,  and  to  dance  gracefully  at  all 
the  religious  feasts. 

As  the  Spartans  were  very  anxious  that  their  boys 
should  be  strong  and  fearless,  they  were  taught  to  stand 
pain  and  fatigue  without  a  murmur;  and,  to  make  sure 
that  they  could  do  so,  their  teachers  made  them  go 
through  a  very  severe  training. 

Led  by  one  of  the  older  boys,  the  little  lads  were 
often  sent  out  for  long  tramps  over  rough  and  stony 
roads,  under  the  hot  sun;  and  the  best  boy  was  the  one 
who  kept  up  longest,  in  spite  of  bleeding  feet,  burning 
thirst,  and  great  fatigue. 

Spartan  boys  were  allowed  no  beds  to  sleep  in,  lest 
they  should  become  lazy  and  hard  to  please.  Their 
only  couch  was  a  heap  of  rushes,  which  they  picked  on 
the  banks  of  the  Eu-ro'tas,  a  river  near  Sparta;  and  in 
winter  they  were  allowed  to  cover  these  with  a  layer  of 
cat-tail  down  to  make  them  softer  and  warmer. 


aXKc 


XXIII.     THE   BRAVE   SPARTAN    BOY. 

AS  greedy  and  disobedient  children  were  viewed  at 
Sparta  with  the  contempt  they  deserved,  all  the 
boys  were  trained  to  obey  at  a  word,  whatever  the  order 
given,  and  were  allowed  only  the  plainest  and  scantiest 
food. 

Strange  to  relate,  the  Spartans  also  trained  their  boys 
to    steal.     They    praised   them  when   they  succeeded    in 


65 

doing  so  without  being  found  out,  and  punished  them 
only  when  caught  in  the  act.  The  reason  for  this 
queer  custom  was  this :  the  people  were  often  engaged  in 
war,  and  as  they  had  no  baggage  wagons  following  their 
army,  and  no  special  officer  to  furnish  food,  they  had 
to  depend  entirely  upon  the  provisions  they  could  get 
on  their  way. 

Whenever  an  army  came  in  sight,  the  people  hid  not 
only  their  wealth,  but  also  their  food;  and,  had  not  the 
Spartan  soldiers  been  trained  to  steal,  they  would  often 
have  suffered  much  from  hunger  when  they  were  at  war. 

To  test  the  courage  of  the  Spartan  boys,  their  teachers 
never  allowed  them  to  have  a  light,  and  often  sent  them 
out  alone  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  on  errands  which 
they  had  to  do  as  best  they  could. 

Then,  too,  once  a  year  all  the  boys  were  brought  to  the 
Temple  of  Diana,  where  their  courage  was  further  tried 
by  a  severe  flogging ;  and  those  who  stood  this  whipping 
without  a  tear  or  moan  were  duly  praised.  The  little 
Spartan  boys  were  so  eager  to  be  thought  brave,  that 
it  is  said  that  some  let  themselves  be  flogged  to  death 
rather  than  complain. 

The  bravery  of  one  of  these  boys  was  so  wonderful 
that  you  will  find  it  mentioned  in  nearly  every  Greek 
history  you  read.  This  little  fellow  had  stolen  a  live 
fox,  and  hidden  it  in  the  bosom  of  his  dress,  on  his 
way  to  school. 

The  imprisoned  fox,  hoping  to  escape,  began  to  gnaw 
a  hole  in  the  boy's  chest,  and  to  tear  his  flesh  with  his 
sharp  claws ;  but,  in  spite*  of  the  pain,  the  lad  sat  still, 
and  let  the  fox  bite  him  to  death. 

STO    nv  GR.  —  5 


66 


It  was  only  when  he  fell  lifeless  to  the  floor  that  the 
teachers  found  the  fox,  and  saw  how  cruelly  he  had 
torn  the  brave  little  boy  to  pieces.  Ever  since  then, 
when  boys  stand  pain  bravely  and  without  wincing,  they 
have  been  called  little  Spartans,  in  memory  of  this  lad. 

In  order  that  the  boys  should  be  taught  to  behave 
well  under  all  circumstances,  they  were  never  allowed  to 
speak  except  when  spoken  to,  and  then  their  answers 
were  expected  to  be  as  short  and  exact  as  possible. 

This  style  of  speaking,  where  much  was  said  in  few 
words,  was  so  usual  in  the  whole  country  of  Laconia, 
that  it  is  still  known  as  the  laconic  style. 

To  train  them  in  this  mode  of  speech,  the  elders  daily 
made  the  boys  pass  an  oral  examination,  asking  them 
any  questions  they  could  think  of.  The  boys  had  to 
answer  promptly,  briefly,  and  carefully;  and  if  they 
failed  to  do  so,  it  was  considered  a  great  disgrace. 

These  daily  questionings  were  meant  to  sharpen  their 
wits,  strengthen  their  memories,  and  teach  them  how  to 
think  and  decide  quickly  and  correctly. 

The  Spartan  youths  were  further  taught  to  treat  all 
their  elders  with  the  greatest  respect;  and  it  must  have 
been  a  pretty  sight  to  see  all  these  manly  fellows  respect- 
fully saluting  all  the  old  people  they  met,  and  even 
stopping  their  play  to  make  way  for  them  when  they 
came  on  the  street. 

To  strengthen  their  muscles,  the  boys  were  also  care- 
fully trained  in  gymnastics.  They  could  handle  weapons, 
throw  heavy  weights,  wrestle,  run  with  great  speed,  swim, 
jump,  and  ride,  and  were  experts  in  all  exercises  which 
tended  to  make  them  strong,  active,  and  well. 


67 


XXIV.     PUBLIC   TABLES   IN    SPARTA. 

THE  Spartan  men  prided  themselves  upon  living  almost 
as  plainly  as  the  boys,  and,  instead  of  eating  their 
meals  at  home  with  the  women  and  children,  they  had 
a  common  table.  Each  man  gave  a  certain  amount  of 
flour,  oil,  wine,  vegetables,  and  money,  just  enough  to  pro- 
vide for  his  share  of  food. 

Instead  of  haying  varied  and  delicate  dishes,  they 
always  ate  about  the  same  things ;  and  their  favorite 
food  was  a  thick  dark  stew  or  soup,  which  they  called 
black  broth.  Rich  and  poor  were  treated  alike,  sat  side 
by  side,  and  ate  the  same  food,  which  was  intended 
to  make  them  equally  strong  and  able  to  serve  their 
country. 

The  girls  and  women  never  came  to  these  public  tables; 
but  the  boys  were  given  a  seat  there  as  soon  as  they  had 
learned  their  first  and  most  important  lesson,  obedience. 

When  the  boys  came  into  the  public  dining  hall  for  the 
first  time,  the  oldest  man  present  called  them  to  him, 
and,  pointing  to  the  door,  solemnly  warned  them  that 
nothing  said  inside  the  walls  was  ever  to  be  repeated 
without. 

Then,  while  the  boys  took  their  places  and  ate  without 
speaking  a  word,  the  old  men  talked  freely  of  all  they 
pleased,  sure  that  Spartan  lads  would  never  be  mean 
enough  to  repeat  anything  they  said,  and  trusting  to  their 
honor. 

Although  the  Spartans  had  wine  upon  their  table,  they 
were    a  very  temperate    people,  and  drank  only  a  very 


68 


little  with  each  meal.  To  show  the  boys  what  a  horrible 
thing  drunkenness  is,  and  the  sure  result  of  too  much 
drinking,  the  old  men  sometimes  gave  them  an  object 
lesson. 

They  sent  for  one  of  the  meanest  Helots  or  slaves, 
and  purposely  gave  him  plenty  of  wine.  He  was  en- 
couraged to  go  on  drinking  until  he  sank  on  the  floor 
in  a  drunken  sleep.  Then  the  old  men  would  point  him 
out  to  the  boys,  and  explain  to  them  that  a  man  who 
has  drunk  too  much  is  unworthy  of  the  love  or  esteem 
of  his  fellow-creatures,  and  is  in  many  ways  worse  than 
a  beast. 

The  Spartan  boys,  thus  early  warned  of  the  evils  of 
drinking,  were  careful  to  take  but  very  little  wine,  and 
to  keep  their  heads  quite  clear,  so  that  they  might  always 
be  considered  men,  and  might  never  disgrace  themselves 
as  they  had  seen  the  Helots  do. 

When  the  boys  had  passed  through  the  first  course  of 
training,  they  in  turn  became  the  teachers  and  leaders 
of  the  smaller  lads,  and  thus  served  their  country  until 
they  were  old  enough  to  go  to  war.  When  they  left  for 
their  first  campaign,  all  the  people  came  out  to  see  them 
off,  and  each  mother  gave  her  son  his  shield,  saying,  — 

"  Come  back  with  it  or  on  it." 

By  this  she  meant  "  Come  home  honorably,  bearing  your 
shield,  thus  showing  that  you  have  never  thrown  it  away 
to  save  yourself  by  flight;  or  die  so  bravely  that  your 
companions  will  bring  back  your  body  resting  on  your 
shield,  to  give  you  a  glorious  burial" 


69 


XXV.     LAWS   OF   LYCURGUS. 

THE  Spartan  girls,  who  were  brought  up  by  the  women, 
were,  like  the  boys,  taught  to  wrestle,  run,  and  swim, 
and  to  take  part  in  gym- 
nastics of  all  kinds,  until 
they  too  became  very 
strong  and  supple,  and 
could  stand  almost  any 
fatigue. 

They  were  also  taught 
to  read,  write,  count,  sing, 
play,  and  dance  ;  to  spin, 
weave,  and  dye ;  and  to 
do  all  kinds  of  woman's 
work.  In  short,  they 
were  expected  to  be 
strong,  intelligent,  and 
capable,  so  that  when 
they  married  they  might 
help  their  husbands,  and 
bring  up  their  children 
sensibly.  At  some  pub- 
lic festivals  the  girls 
strove  with  one  another  in 
various  games,  which  were 
witnessed  only  by  their  fathers  A  Dancing  Girl, 

and  mothers    and   the    other 

married  people  of  the  city.     The  winners  in  these  contests 
were  given  beautiful  prizes,  which  were  much  coveted. 


70 

Lycurgus  hoped  to  make  the  Spartans  a  strong  and 
good  people.  To  hinder  the  kings  from  doing  anything 
wrong,  he  had  the  people  choose  five  men,  called  ephors, 
to  watch  over  and  to  advise  them. 

Then,  knowing  that  great  wealth  is  not  desirable, 
Lycurgus  said  that  the  Spartans  should  use  only  iron 
money.  All  the  Spartan  coins  were  therefore  bars  of  iron, 
so  heavy  that  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  strong  cart  were 
needed  to  carry  a  sum  equal  to  one  hundred  dollars 
from  one  spot  to  another.  Money  was  so  bulky  that  it 
could  neither  be  hidden  nor  stolen ;  and  no  one  cared 
to  make  a  fortune,  since  it  required  a  large  space  to 
stow  away  even  a  small  sum. 

When  Charilaus,  the  infant  king,  had  grown  up,  Lycur- 
gus prepared  to  go  away.  Before  he  left  the  town,  he 
called  all  the  citizens  together,  reminded  them  of  all  he 
had  done  to  make  them  a  great  people,  and  ended  by 
asking  every  man  present  to  swear  to  obey  the  laws 
until  he  came  back. 

The  Spartans  were  very  grateful  for  all  he  had  done 
for  them,  so  they  gladly  took  this  oath,  and  Lycurgus  left 
the  place.  Some  time  after,  he  came  back  to  Greece ;  but, 
hearing  that  the  Spartans  were  thriving  under  the  rules 
he  had  laid  down,  he  made  up  his  mind  never  to  visit 
Sparta  again. 

It  was  thus  that  the  Spartans  found  themselves  bound 
by  solemn  oath  to  obey  Lycurgus'  laws  forever;  and  as 
long  as  they  remembered  this  pronrse,  they  were  a 
thriving  and  happy  people. 


7i 


XXVI.     THE   MESSENIAN   WAR. 

NOT  very  far  from  Sparta,  and  next  to  Laconia,  was 
a  country  called  Mes-se'ni-a,  which  was  much 
more  fertile,  and  had  long  been  occupied  by  a  kindred 
race  descended  from  Le'lex,  brother  of  Lacedaemon. 

When  the  Spartans  found  out  that  the  Mes-se'ni-an 
fields  were  more  fruitful  than  their  own,  they  longed  to 
have  them,  and  anxiously  watched  for  some  excuse  to 
make  war  against  the  Messenians  and  win  their  land. 
It  was  not  long  before  they  found  one. 

There  was  a  temple  on  the  boundary  of  Messenia 
and  Laconia,  where  the  people  of  both  countries  used 
to  assemble  on  certain  days  to  offer  up  sacrifices  to 
the  gods.  The  Messenian  lads,  seeing  the  beauty  of  the 
Spartan  girls,  and  longing  to  have  such  strong,  handsome, 
and  intelligent  wives,  once  carried  off  a  few  of  them  into 
their  own  country,  and  refused  to  give  them  up  again. 
The  Spartans,  indignant  at  this  conduct,  flew  to  arms, 
and  one  night,  led  by  their  king,  attacked  the  Messenian 
town  of  Am-phe'a. 

As  no  one  expected  them,  they  soon  became  masters 
of  the  place,  and  in  their  anger  killed  all  the  inhabitants. 
The  other  Messenians,  hearing  of  this  cruel  deed,  quickly 
made  ready  to  fight,  and  bravely  began  the  struggle  which 
is  known  as  the  First  Messenian  War. 

Although  very  brave,  the  Messenians  had  not  been 
as  well  trained  as  the  Spartans,  and  could  not  drive 
them  back.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  themselves  driven 
from  place  to  place,  until  they  were  forced  to  take  refuge 


72 

in  the  fortified  city  of  I-tho'me.  Here  they  were  shut 
in  with  their  king,  Aristodemus,  who  was  a  proud  and 
brave  man. 

Ithome  was  built  high  up  on  a  rock,  so  steep  that  the 
Spartan  soldiers  could  not  climb  it,  and  so  high  that  they 
could  not  even  shoot  their  arrows  into  the  town. 

The  Messenians,  hoping  to  keep  this  place  of  refuge, 
kept  a  sharp  lookout,  and,  whenever  the  Spartans  made 
any  attempt  to  climb  the  rocks,  they  rolled  great  blocks 
of  stone  down  upon  them. 

All  went  well  as  long  as  the  food  lasted,  but  the  time 
came  when  the  Messenians  in  Ithome  had  nothing  to  eat. 
Some  of  their  bravest  men  tried  to  go  down  into  the 
valley  in  search  of  provisions ;  but,  as  they  were  attacked 
by  the  Spartans,  they  could  not  bring  the  hungry  people 
much  to  eat. 

When  Aristodemus  saw  that  the  people  would  all  die 
of  hunger  unless  some  way  were  found  to  get  food,  he 
consulted  an  oracle,  in  order  to  find  out  what  it  was  best. 
for  him  to  do.  The  oracle  answered  that  a  battle  should 
be  fought,  and  promised  the  victory  to  the  king  who 
offered  his  daughter  in  sacrifice  to  the  gods. 

When  Aristodemus  heard  this  answer,  he  shuddered 
with  fear ;  for,  although  he  knew  that  his  ancestors  had 
offered  up  human  victims  on  their  altars,  he  loved  his 
only  daughter  too  well  to  give  her  up. 

For  some  time  longer,  therefore,  he  resisted  every  attack, 
and  tried  to  think  of  some  other  way  to  save  his  people. 
At  last,  however,  seeing  that  they  would  all  die  unless 
something  were  done,  he  sacrificed  the  child  he  loved  so 
well 


73 

The  Messenians  were  touched  by  his  generosity,  and  by 
his  readiness  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  save  them.  They 
felt  sure  that  the  gods  would  now  give  them  the  victory, 
and  rushed  out  of  the  town  and  into  the  Spartan  camp. 
Their  attack  was  so  sudden,  and  they  fought  with  such 
fury,  that  they  soon  killed  three  hundred  Spartans  and 
one  of  their  kings. 

This  battle  did  not,  as  they  had  hoped,  end  the  war, 
which  went  on  for  several  years.  At  last  Aristodemus, 
despairing  of  victory,  went  to  his  beloved  daughter's  tomb, 
and  there  killed  himself. 

When  he  was  dead,  the  city  of  Ithome  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Spartans.  They  treated  the  conquered  Messenians 
with  great  cruelty,  made  them  all  slaves,  and  were  as 
unkind  to  them  as  they  had  been  to  the  Helots. 


^Kc 


XXVII.     THE   MUSIC   OF    TYRTtEUS. 

AFTER  suffering  great  tortures  under  the  Spartan 
yoke  for  forty  long  years,  the  Messenians  began 
to  plan  a  revolt. 

One  of  their  princes,  Ar-is-tom'e-nes,  a  man  of  unusual 
bravery,  made  up  his  mind  to  free  the  unhappy  people, 
and  to  ruin  the  proud  city  of  Sparta,  which  had  caused 
them  so  much  suffering. 

He  therefore  secretly  assembled  all  the  Messenians, 
and,  when  his  plans  were  ready,  began  to  war  openly 
against  the  Spartans,  whom  he  defeated  in  several  battles. 

With  his  small  army,  he  even  pressed  forward  toward 


74 

the  city  of  Sparta,  and  camped  within  sight  of  its  dwell- 
ings. The  Spartan  women  could  thus  see  a  very  unusual 
sight,  —  the  light  of  the  enemies'  fires. 

To  frighten  the  Spartans  still  more,  Aristomenes  went 
secretly  into  the  city  one  dark  night,  stole  into  the  prin- 
cipal temple,  and  there  hung  up  the  arms  he  had  taken 
during  the  war. 

These  weapons  were  arranged  so  as  to  form  what  the 
Greeks  called  a  trophy,  and  right  under  them  Aristom- 
enes boldly  wrote  his  name  in  letters  so  large  that  all 
could  see  it. 

When  morning  dawned,  and  the  Spartans  came  as 
usual  into  the  temple  to  offer  up  their  morning  prayer 
and  sacrifice,  they  were  astonished  and  dismayed  at  the 
sight  of  this  trophy.  Aristomenes'  bravery  was  so  great 
that  they  despaired  of  conquering  him  without  divine  aid, 
and  so  they  sent  to  ask  an  oracle  what  they  should  do. 

The  oracle  answered  that  the  Spartans  would  be  vic- 
torious if  they  marched  to  war  under  the  command  of 
an  Athenian  general.  Now,  the  Spartans  were  a  proud 
people,  and  did  not  like  to  ask  aid  of  any  one ;  but 
they  made  up  their  minds  to  obey  this  command,  and 
so  sent  a  messenger  to  Athens  to  ask  for  a  good  leader. 

Whether  the  Athenians,  who  were  well  known  for  their 
love  of  joking,  wished  to  make  fun  of  the  Spartans,  or 
whether  they  wanted  to  show  theni  that  the  bodily  beauty 
and  strength  which  the  Spartans  prized  so  highly  was 
not  everything,  no  one  now  knows.  The  fact  is,  how- 
ever, that  the  Athenians  sent  the  Spartans  a  poor,  lame 
schoolmaster,  called  Tyr-tae'us,  to  lead  them  in  battle. 
This  man  had  never  handled  a  weapon  in  his  life,  and 


75 

the  Spartans  were  very  angry  when  he  placed  himself 
at  their  head  with  a  lyre  instead  of  a  sword ;  but  when 
he  suddenly  began  to  sing  one  of  those  war  songs  which 
make  one's  blood  tingle,  it  roused  their  patriotism  to  such 
a  point  that  all  were  ready  to  conquer  or  die,  and  their 
scorn  was  soon  changed  to  deep  admiration. 

Fired  by  these  patriotic  songs,  and  by  the  stirring 
music  the  lame  schoolmaster  played,  the  Spartans  fought 
better  than  ever  before,  overcame  the  Messenians,  and 
came  home  in  triumph  with  their  prisoners,  among  whom 
was  the  brave  Aristomenes. 

As  it  was  then  usual  to  put  all  prisoners  of  war  to 
death,  the  Spartans  threw  all  the  Messenians  down  into 
a  horrible  pit  called  the  Ce'a-das.  This  was  a  dark 
hole  of  great  depth,  and  its  sides  were  all  covered  with 
jagged  rocks,  against  which  the  prisoners  were  dashed  to 
pieces  long  before  they  reached  the  bottom. 

The  Messenians  were  cast  into  this  place  one  after 
another,  Aristomenes  being  thrown  in  last  of  all,  so  that 
he  might  have  the  sorrow  of  seeing  his  companions  die. 
Of  course,  this  was  very  cruel,  but  the  Spartans  had 
been  brought  up  to  think  this  mode  of  getting  rid  of 
their  enemies  quite  right;  and  when  they  had  thus  killed 
them,  they  cheerfully  went  back  to  the  city  and  cele- 
brated their  victory. 


76 


XXVIII.     ARISTOMENES'    ESCAPE. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Spartans  thought  that  Aristomenes 
was  dead,  they  were  greatly  mistaken.  By  some 
miracle  he  had  not  struck  against  any  of  the  sharp, 
jagged  rocks,  but,  falling  upon  the  heap  of  his  dead 
companions,  had  reached  the  bottom  of  the  Ceadas 
unhurt. 

There  was  apparently  no  way  out  of  this  pit  except 
by  the  opening  at  the  top,  through  which  a  bit  of  sky 
could  be  seen;  and  Aristomenes  soon  found  that  the 
sides  were  so  steep  that  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the 
opening.  He  therefore  went  off  to  one  side,  away  from 
the  heap  of  dead,  and  sat  down  on  a  stone  in  that  cold, 
damp,  and  dark  place.  There  he  drew  his  cloak  over 
his  head  to  wait  patiently  until  he  should  starve  to  death. 
Three  days  had  thus  been  spent  in  this  place,  and  his 
strength  was  already  fast  failing,  when  he  suddenly  felt 
a  warm  breath  on  his  hand. 

He  softly  drew  aside  his  cloak,  and,  now  that  his 
eyes  were  used  to  the  darkness,  he  dimly  saw  a  fox 
prowling  around  him,  and  sniffing  his  clothes  suspiciously. 

Gently  wrapping  his  cloak  around  his  hand  to  pro- 
tect it  from  the  fox's  sharp  teeth,  Aristomenes  caught 
the  animal  firmly  by  the  tail.  Then,  in  spite  of  all  its 
efforts  to  get  away,  he  held  it  tight ;  and  when  it  started 
off,  he  followed  its  lead. 

As  he  had  shrewdly  suspected,  the  fox  knew  a  way 
out  of  the  horrible  place.  All  at  once  it  slipped  into 
a  hole ;  and  Aristomenes,  seeing  a  little  light  at  the  end 


77 

of  this,  let  the  fox  go.  With  the  help  of  a  sharp 
stone,  he  soon  made  the  fox's  hole  big  enough  to  crawl 
through,  and  quickly  made  his  way  back  to  the  Mes- 
senians. 

You  can  imagine  how  happy  they  were  to  see  the 
beloved  chief  whom  they  thought  dead,  and  how  tenderly 
they  cared  for  him  until  he  was  well  and  strong  again. 
They  never  tired  of  hearing  the  story  of  his  fall,  im- 
prisonment, and  escape ;  and  when  he  proposed  to  lead 
them  once  more  against  the  Spartans,  they  gladly  prom- 
ised to  help  him. 

In  spite  of  all  Aristomenes'  courage,  however,  Mes- 
senia  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Spartans,  and  the 
Second  Messenian  War  came  to  an  end.  All  the  people 
who  wished  to  escape  slavery  or  death  left  their  native 
country,  and  went  to  Italy  or  Sicily,  where  they  founded 
Greek  colonies. 

The  cities  that  they  built  soon  became  very  powerful, 
and  one  of  them  they  named  Mes-srna  in  honor  of 
their  native  land.  This  city  still  stands,  as  you  will  see 
by  looking  at  your  maps;  and  near  it  is  the  strait  of 
the  same  name,  which  separates  Sicily  from  Italy. 


>**:< 


XXIX.     THE   OLYMPIC  GAMES. 

NORTHWEST  of  Sparta,  in  the  country  called  E'lis 
and  in  the  city  of  O-lym'pi-a,  rose  a  beautiful  temple 
for  the  worship  of  Ju'pi-ter  (or  Zeus),  the  principal  god 
of  the  Greeks.     This  temple  was  said  to  have  been  built 


78 

by  Hercules,  the  great  hero  from  whom,  as  you  remem- 
ber, all  the  Heraclidae  claimed  to  be  descended. 

According  to  the  legends,  Hercules  was  a  son  of  the 
god  Jupiter,  and  had  ordered  that  a  great  festival  should 
be  held  here  every  four  years  in  honor  of  his  divine 
father. 


The  Temple  at  Olympia. 

For  the  purpose  of  attracting  all  the  neighboring  peo- 
ple to  the  temple  at  Olympia,  Hercules  founded  many 
athletic  games,  such  as  wrestling,  stone  and  spear  throw- 
ing, foot,  horse,  and  chariot  races,  boxing,  swimming,  and 
the  like. 

Hercules  himself  was  present  at  the  first  of  these 
festivals,  and  acted  as  umpire  of   the   games,  rewarding 


79 

the  victors  by  giving  them  crowns  of  wild  olive  leaves. 
This  custom  had  been  kept  up  ever  since,  and  the  Greek 
youths  considered  this  simple  crown  the  finest  prize 
which  could  be  given. 

As  the  Spartans  were  great  athletes,  they  soon  took 
important  parts  in  the  Olympic  games,  won  most  of 
the  prizes,  and  claimed  the  honor  of  defending  the 
temple  at  Olympia  in  all  times  of  danger. 

All  the  people  who  went  to  Olympia  to  witness  the 
games  laid  some  precious  offering  before  the  shrines,  so 
that  the  temple  came  to  be  noted  for  its  beauty  and 
wealth.  Painters  and  sculptors,  too,  further  adorned  it 
with  samples  of  their  skill,  and  it  soon  contained  numer- 
ous gems  of  art. 

The  most  precious  of  all  was  a  statue  representing 
Jupiter,  which  was  the  work  of  the  renowned  sculptor 
Phid'i-as.  This  statue  was  more  than  forty  feet  high ; 
and,  while  the  god  himself  was  carved  out  of  pure 
white  ivory,  his  hair,  beard,  and  garments  were  made 
of  gold,  and  his  eyes  of  the  brightest  jewels. 

The  temple  and  grove  were  further  adorned  with  a 
great  many  statues  representing  the  other  gods  and  all 
the  prize  winners,  for  it  was  customary  to  place  a  life- 
sized  statue  of  each  of  them  in  this  beautiful  place. 

During  the  celebration  of  the  Olympic  games  many 
sacrifices  were  offered  up  to  the  gods,  and  gheraj  were 
many  religious  processions  in  their  honor.  Poets  and 
artists,  as  well  as  athletes,  were  in  the  habit  of  has- 
tening thither  on  every  occasion ;  for  there  were  contests 
in  poetry  and  song,  and  the  people  were  anxious  to  hear 
and  see  all  the  new  works. 


8o 


Between  the  games,  therefore,  the  poets  recited  their 
poems,  the  musicians  sang  their  songs,  the  historians  read 
their  histories,  and  the  story-tellers  told  their  choicest 
tales,  to  amuse  the  vast  crowd  which  had  come  there  from 
all  parts  of  Greece,  and  even  from  the  shores  of  Italy 
and  Asia  Minor. 

As  the  games  were  held  every  four  years,  the  people 
eagerly  looked  forward  to  their  coming,  and  soon  began 
to  reckon  time  by  them.  It  was  therefore  usual  to  say 
that  such  and  such  a  thing  happened  in  the  first,  second, 
or  third  year  of  the  fifth,  tenth,  or  seventieth  O-lym' pi-ad, 
as  the  case  might  be. 

Soon  even  the  historians  began  to  use  this  way  of 
dating  important  events ;  and  by  counting  four  years 
for  each  Olympiad,  as  the  time  between  the  games  was 
called,  we  can  find  out  exactly  when  the  chief  events  in 
Greek  history  took  place. 

Although  the  Olympic  games  were  probably  held  many 
times  before  this  system  of  counting  was  begun,  and  before 
any  good  record  was  kept,  we  can  trace  them  back  to 
774  B.C. 

For  one  thousand  years  after  that,  the  name  of  each 
victor  was  carefully  written  down ;  and  it  was  only  about 
three  centuries  after  Christ  that  the  Olympic  records 
ceased.  Then  the  games  came  to  an  end,  to  the  sorrow 
of  all  the  Greeks. 

Several  attempts  have  since  been  made  to  revive  these 
games ;  but  all  proved  fruitless  until  the  Greek  king 
arranged  to  renew  them  in  1896.  In  that  year  a  great 
festival  was  held,  not  at  Olympia,  but  in  the  city  of 
Athens. 


8i 


Besides  some  of  the  old-fashioned  Greek  games,  there 
were  bicycle  and  hurdle  races,  shooting  matches,  and 
contests  in  jumping.  People  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
went  to  see  them  in  as  large  numbers  as  they  went  to 
Olympia  in  the  olden  times. 

The  victors  in  the  games,  who  belonged  to  many  dif- 
ferent nations,  received  medals,  and  wreaths  of  wild  olive 
and  laurel  leaves ;  but  the  people  did  not  wear  crowns  of 
flowers  as  formerly,  nor  offer  sacrifices  to  the  old  gods, 
for  Greece  is  now  a  Christian  country. 


>X*c 


XXX.     MILO   OF   CROTON. 

AMONG  the  athletes  whose  statues  were  to  be  seen 
at  Olympia  was  Mi'lo,  a  man  of  Cro'ton,  one  of  the 
Greek  colonies  in  Italy.  This  man  was  remarkable  for 
his  great  strength,  and  could  carry  very  heavy  weights. 
In  order  to  develop  his  muscle  and  become  strong,  he 
had  trained  himself  from  a  boy,  and  had  practiced  carry- 
ing burdens  until  he  could  lift  more  than  any  other  man 
of  his  time. 

We  are  told  that  he  was  so  earnest  in  his  efforts  to 
become  strong,  that  he  daily  carried  a  pet  calf,  gradu- 
ally increasing  the  distance.  As  the  calf  grew  larger, 
Milo  became  stronger,  and  his  muscles  became  so  pow- 
erful that  he  could  carry  the  animal  with  ease  when  it 
became  a  full-sized  ox. 

To  please  his  companions  and  show  them  what  he 
could  do,  Milo  once  carried  an  ox  for  several  miles,  and 
sto.  of  gr. — 6 


82 


then,  feeling  hungry,  killed  it  with  one  blow  of  his  fist, 
cooked  it,  and  ate  it  all  at  a  single  meal.  On  another 
occasion,  Milo  was  sitting  with  several  companions  in  a 
rather  tumble-down  house.  All  at  once  he  noticed  that 
the  roof  was  falling  in.  He  stretched  up  his  great  arms, 
spread  out  his  hands,  and  held  the  roof  up  until  all  his 
companions  had  run  out  of  the  house. 

Milo's  hands  were  so  strong  that  when  he  seized  a 
chariot,  even  with  one  hand  only,  four  horses  could  not 
make  it  stir  until  he  let  it  go.  Of  course,  Milo  was 
very  proud  of  his  great  strength,  which,  however,  proved 
unlucky  for  him,  and  caused  his  death. 

One  day  when  he  was  very  old,  Milo  wandered  out 
alone  into  a  forest  where  some  woodcutters  had  been  at 
work.  The  men  had  gone  away,  leaving  their  wedges  in 
an  unusually  large  tree  trunk. 

Milo,  remembering  his  former  strength,  gazed  for  a 
moment  at  the  tree,  and  then,  feeling  sure  that  he  could 
easily  pull  it  apart,  he  slipped  his  fingers  into  the  crack. 
At  his  first  effort  the  tree  parted  a  little,  and  the  wedges 
fell  out;  but  the  two  halves,  instead  of  splitting  apart, 
suddenly  came  together  again,  and  Milo  found  his  hands 
held  fast. 

In  vain  he  struggled,  in  vain  he  called.  He  could 
neither  wrench  himself  free  nor  attract  any  one's  atten- 
tion. Night  came  on,  and  soon  the  wild  beasts  of  the 
forest  began  to  creep  out  of  their  dens. 

They  found  the  captive  athlete,  and,  springing  upon 
him,  tore  him  to  pieces,  for  he  could  not  defend  himself, 
in  spite  of  all  his  boasted  strength. 


83 


XXXI.     THE   JEALOUS   ATHLETE. 

NEAR  the  statue  of  Milo  of  Croton  stood  that  of 
The-ag'e-nes,  another  noted  athlete,  who  lived  many 
years  after  Milo.  He  too  had  defeated  every  rival.  He 
was  the  winner  of  many  prizes,  and  all  envied  him  his 
strength  and  renown. 

One  of  the  men  in  particular,  whom  he  had  defeated 
in  the  games,  was  jealous  of  him,  and  of  the  honors 
which  he  had  won.  This  man,  instead  of  trying  to  over- 
come these  wicked  feelings,  used  to  steal  daily  into  the 
temple  to  view  his  rival's  statue,  and  mutter  threats  and 
curses  against  it. 

In  his  anger,  he  also  gave  the  pedestal  an  angry  shake 
every  night,  hoping  that  some  harm  would  befall  the 
statue.  One  evening,  when  this  jealous  man  had  jostled 
the  image  of  Theagenes  a  little  more  roughly  than  usual, 
the  heavy  marble  toppled  and  fell,  crushing  him  to  death 
beneath  its  weight. 

When  the  priests  came  into  the  temple  the  next  day, 
and  found  the  man's  dead  body  under  the  great  statue, 
they  were  very  much  surprised.  The  judges  assembled, 
as  was  the  custom  when  a  crime  of  any  kind  had  been 
committed,  to  decide  what  had  caused  his  death. 

As  it  was  usual  in  Greece  to  hold  judgment  over  life- 
less as  well  as  over  living  things,  the  statue  of  Theagenes 
was  brought  into  court,  and  accused  and  found  guilty  of 
murder. 

The  judges  then  said,  that,  as  the  statue  had  com- 
mitted a  crime,  it  deserved  to  be  punished,  and  so  they 


84 

condemned  it  to  be  cast  into  the  sea  and  drowned.  This 
sentence  had  scarcely  been  executed,  when  a  plague 
broke  out  in  Greece ;  and  when  the  frightened  people 
consulted  an  oracle  to  find  out  how  it  could  be  checked, 
they  learned  that  it  would  not  cease  until  the  statue  of 
Theagenes  had  been  set  up  on  its  pedestal  again.  The 
superstitious  Greeks  believed  these  words,  fished  the 
statue  up  out  of  the  sea,  and  placed  it  again  in  Olympia. 
As  the  plague  stopped  shortly  after  this,  they  all  felt 
sure  that  it  was  because  they  had  obeyed  the  oracle, 
and  they  ever  after  looked  upon  the  statue  with  great 
awe. 

XXXII.     THE    GIRLS'    GAMES. 

ALTHOUGH  the  women  and  girls  were  not  often 
allowed  to  appear  in  public,  or  to  witness  certain 
of  the  Olympic  games,  there  were  special  days  held 
sacred  to  them,  when  the  girls  also  strove  for  prizes. 

They  too  ran  races ;  and  it  must  have  been  a  pretty 
sight  to  see  all  those  healthy,  happy  girls  running  around 
the  stadium,  as  the  foot-race  course  was  called. 

One  of  these  races  was  called  the  torch  race,  for  each 
runner  carried  a  lighted  torch  in  her  hand.  All  were 
allowed  to  try  to  put  out  each  other's  light ;  and  the  prize 
was  given  to  the  maiden  who  first  reached  the  goal  with 
her  torch  aflame,  or  to  the  one  who  kept  hers  burning 
longest. 

The  prize  for  the  girls  was  the  same  as  that  given  to 
the  boys;  but  the  boys  took   part  in  more  games,   and 


86 


were  present  in  greater  numbers,  than  the  girls,  and 
their  victories  were  praised  much  more  than  those  of 
their  sisters. 

The  crowd  of  people  watching  the  games  often  grew 
so  excited  that  they  carried  the  victor  all  around  the 
grounds  on  their  shoulders,  while  Olympia  fairly  re- 
echoed with  their  cries  of  joy. 

We  are  also  told  that  one  old  man  called  Chi'lo  was 
so  happy  when  his  son  laid  at  his  feet  the  crowns  he 
had  just  won,  that  he  actually  died  of  joy,  thus  turning 
his  son's  happiness  into  bitter  grief. 

While  all  the  foot  races  took  place  in  the  stadium,  the 
horse  and  chariot  races  were  held  in  the  hippodrome,  and 
excited  the  greatest  interest.  There  were  two-,  four-,  and 
eight-horse  races ;  and,  as  the  horses  were  sometimes 
unruly,  the  chariots  were  liable  to  be  overturned.  Thus 
at  times  a  number  of  horses  would  fall  in  a  heap,  and 
lie  struggling  and  kicking  in  the  dust,  which  added  to 
the  general  excitement. 


>XK< 


XXXIII.     THE   BLOODY    LAWS    OF    DRACO. 

YOU  have  already  learned  that  Athens  was  one  of 
the  greatest  cities  of  ancient  Greece,  and  that  after 
the  heroic  self-sacrifice  of  Codrus  the  inhabitants  would 
not  allow  any  one  to  bear  the  name  of  king.   . 

The  sons  of  Codrus  were  named  archons,  or  rulers  for 
life,  —  an  office  which  was  at  first  handed  down  from 
father  to  son,  but  which  soon   became    elective  ;    that  is 


87 

to  say,  all  the  people  voted  for  and  elected  their  own 
rulers.  Then  nine  archons  were  chosen  at  once,  but 
they  kept  their  office  for  only  one  year. 

As  these  men  received  no  pay  for  serving  the  state, 
only  the  richest  citizens  could  accept  the  office ;  and 
thus  Athens,  from  a  monarchy,  or  country  ruled  by  a 
king,  became  an  oligarchy,  or  state  ruled  by  the  rich 
and  noble  citizens. 

As  the  rich  thus  held  the  reins  of  the  government, 
they  often  used  their  power  to  oppress  the  poor,  and 
this  gave  rise  to  many  quarrels.  Little  by  little  the  two 
parties,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  grew  to  hate  each  other 
so  much  that  it  was  decided  that  a  new  code  or  set  of 
laws  should  be  made,  and  that  they  should  be  obeyed 
'by  all  alike. 

A  severe  archon  called  Dra'co  was  chosen  to  draw  up 
these  new  laws  (602  B.C.);  and  he  made  them  so  strict 
and  cruel  that  the  least  sin  was  punished  as  if  it  had 
been  a  crime,  and  a  man  was  sentenced  to  be  hanged 
for  stealing  even  a  cabbage. 

When  the  Athenians  heard  these  new  laws,  they  were 
frightened.  Such  severity  had  never  been  known  before ; 
and  one  and  all  said  that  the  laws  had  been  written  in 
blood  instead  of  ink.  Some  of  the  citizens,  hoping  to 
make  Draco  change  them,  asked  why  he  had  named 
such  a  terrible  punishment  for  so  small  a  crime  as  the 
theft  of  a  cabbage.  Draco  sternly  replied  that  a  person 
who  stole  even  the  smallest  thing  was  dishonest,  and 
deserved  death ;  and  that,  as  he  knew  of  no  severer 
punishment,  he  could  not  inflict  one  for  the  greater 
crimes. 


88 


The  Athenians  had  all  promised  to  obey  Draco's 
laws,  so  they  were  obliged  to  submit  for  a  short  time. 
Then,  driven  wild  by  their  strictness,  rich  and  poor  rose 
up,  drove  the  unhappy  lawmaker  out  of  the  city,  and 
forced  him  to  go  to  the  neighboring  Island  of  y£-gi'na. 
Here  Draco  spent  all  the  rest  of  his  life. 

The  people  were  now  in  a  state  of  great  uncertainty. 
The  laws  of  Draco  were  too  severe,  but  they  had  no 
others  to  govern  the  city.  While  they  were  hesitating, 
not  knowing  what  to  do,  Cy'lon,  an  Athenian  citizen, 
tried  to  make  himself  king. 

His  first  move  was  to  gather  together  a  few  of  his 
friends,  and  go  secretly  to  the  Acropolis,  or  fortress  of 
Athens,  which  he  took  by  surprise.  Now  that  he  was 
master  of  the  fortress,  he  tried  to  force  the  Athenians* 
to  recognize  him  as  their  king,  but  this  they  stoutly 
refused  to  do. 

Instead  of  yielding,  the  Athenians  armed  themselves, 
met  the  rebels  in  a  bloody  battle,  and  killed  Cylon  him- 
self in  the  midst  of  the  fight. 

As  their  leader  was  now  dead,  and  they  feared  the 
anger  of  their  fellow-citizens,  Cylon's  friends  fled  in  haste 
to  the  temple  of  the  goddess  Athene.  Once  inside  the 
sacred  building,  they  felt  quite  safe ;  for  no  person  could 
be  killed  in  a  temple,  or  be  taken  out  of  it  by  force. 

Although  they  had  neither  food  nor  drink,  the  rebels 
refused  to  leave  the  temple,  until  the  archon  Meg'a-cles, 
fearing  that  they  would  die  there,  and  thus  defile  the 
temple,  promised  to  do  them  no  harm  if  they  would 
only  come  out. 

The  rebels  did  not  quite  trust  to  this  promise,  so  they 


89 

came  out  of  the  temple  holding  a  small  cord,  one  end 
of  which  was  fastened  to  the  statue  of  the  goddess. 
They  were  thus  still  under  her  protection,  and  any  one 
touching  them  would  be  guilty  of  a  great  crime. 

When  the  men  reached  the  street  at  the  bottom  of 
the  hill  where  the  temple  stood,  the  cord  to  which  they 
were  all  clinging  suddenly  broke.  Megacles,  the  first  to 
notice  this,  said  that  the  goddess  refused  to  protect  the 
rebels  any  longer,  and  gave  orders  to  kill  the  unhappy 
men. 


XXXIV.     THE   LAWS   OF   SOLON. 

SHORTLY  after  the  death  of  Cylon  and  the  murder 
of  his  followers,  a  great  many  troubles  came  upon 
the  city  of  Athens.  The  people  were  frightened,  and 
soon  the  friends  of  Cylon  began  to  whisper  that  the 
gods  were  surely  punishing  the  Athenians,  and  espe- 
cially Megacles,  for  breaking  his  promise. 

This  report  spread  throughout  the  city.  The  terrified 
people  assembled,  and  voted  to  exile  Megacles  and  all 
his  family,  the  Alc-mae-on'i-dae.  Such  was  the  fury  of  the 
Athenians  against  the  archon  whose  crime  had  brought 
misfortunes  upon  them,  that  they  even  dug  up  the 
bones  of  his  ancestors,  and  had  them  carried  beyond 
the  boundary  of  Attica. 

The  city  had  been  defiled  by  the  crime  which  Mega- 
cles had  committed,  and  the  people  felt  that  they  would 
never  be  prosperous  again  until  Athens  had  been  purified ; 


go 

but  the  great  question  was  to  find  a  man  holy  enough  to 
perform  the  ceremony. 

After  much  talking,  they  decided  to  send  for  Ep-i- 
men'i-des,  and  to  ask  him  to  purify  the  city.  This  man, 
when  a  mere  lad,  once  went  into  a  cave  near  his  native 
town,  and  there  laid  himself  down  to  sleep.  Instead  of 
taking  an  ordinary  nap,  however,  he  slept  fifty-eight 
years,  without  awakening  or  undergoing  any  change. 
When  he  came  out  of  the  cave,  where  he  fancied  he 
had  spent  only  a  few  hours,  he  was  surprised  to  find 
everything  new  and  strange  to  him. 

His  relatives  had  all  died,  no  one  knew  him,  and  it 
was  only  after  some  time  had  passed  that  he  found  out 
that  he  had  slept  fifty-eight  years  at  a  stretch.  This 
man  was  a  poet  of  note,  and,  as  he  had  enjoyed  so 
long  a  sleep,  the  people  thought  that  he  was  a  favorite 
of  the  gods. 

When  the  Athenians  asked  him  to  purify  the  town,  he 
came  to  do  so ;  but  when  the  ceremonies  were  ended,  he 
refused  to  accept  any  of  the  rich  gifts  which  the  people 
offered  him  as  reward.  Instead,  he  humbly  begged 
them  to  give  him  a  twig  of  the  sacred  olive  tree  which 
they  said  Athene  herself  had  planted  on  the  Acropolis. 

Their  troubles  having  now  ceased,  the  Athenians  began 
to  think  of  making  another  and  less  severe  code  of 
laws.  This  time  they  chose  as  lawmaker  a  wise  man 
called  So'lon,  a  descendant  of  the  noble  Codrus;  and  he 
soon  consented  to  tell  them  what  to  do. 

Solon  was  a  studious  and  thoughtful  man,  and  had 
acquired  much  of  his  wisdom  by  traveling,  and  by  learn- 
ing all  he  could  from  the  people  he  visited.     He   knew 


9i 

so  much   that   he   was-  called    a   sage,  and   he   loved   to 
meet  and  talk  with  wise  people. 

Solon  changed  many  of  Draco's  severe  laws,  arranged 
that  the  farmers  and  poor  people  should  no  longer  be 
treated  badly  by  the  rich,  and  even  took  care  of  the 
slaves.  He  also  gave  the  Athenians  a  court  of  law  called 
A-re-op'a-gus.  Here  there  were  jurymen  to  judge  all 
criminals;  and  here,  for  the  first  time,  an  accused  person 
was  allowed  to  speak  in  his  own  defense. 

When  a  man  was  accused  of  any  wrongdoing,  he 
was  brought  before  this  jury,  who  sat  under  the  open 
sky  at  night.  No  light  was  provided,  and  the  whole  trial 
was  carried  on  in  the  dark,  so  that  the  jury  should  not 
be  influenced  by  the  good  or  bad  looks  of  the  prisoner, 
but  should  judge  merely  from  what  was  proved  about 
him. 

If  the  accused  person  was  found  guilty,  he  was  also 
sentenced  and  executed  in  the  dark,  so  that  the  bright 
sun  god,  riding  across  the  sky  in  his  golden  chariot, 
should  not  be  offended  by  the  sad  sight  of  a  man  dying 
for  his  misdeeds. 

Every  citizen  of  Athens,  whether  rich  or  poor,  was 
allowed  to  vote ;  and  as  a  salary  was  now  paid  to  the 
men  who  helped  govern  the  city,  even  a  man  of  small 
means,  if  elected  to  the  Tribunal,  could  afford  to  give 
his  time  to  public  duties. 

•  By  Solon's  order  the  people  were  encouraged  to  talk 
matters  over  in  public  in  the  market  place;  and,  as  the 
Athenians  were  fond  of  making  speeches,  many  of  them 
became  very  eloquent. 

Solon   saw  that  his   reforms   were   likely  to   work   all 


92 


the  better  if   they  were  fairly  tried,  and  if   he  were  not 

there   to    see    how  the  people    did.  He  therefore   made 

the  Athenians  promise  to  obey  his  laws  for  ten  years, 
and  again  set  out  on  his  travels. 


:>XKc 


XXXV.     THE   FIRST    PLAYS. 

IN  the  days  of  Solon,  men  were  often  to  be  seen  wan- 
dering around  the  streets  during  the  festival  of  Di-o- 
ny'sus,  god  of  wine.     They  were  clad  in  goatskins,  were 


IP 

M 


Theater  of  Dionysus. 


£P9 


smeared  with    the  dregs    of    wine,  and  danced  and  sang 
rude  songs  in  honor  of  their  god. 


93 

These  songs  were  called  tragedies,  which  in  Greek 
means  "goat  songs,"  because  the  goat  was  sacred  to 
the  god  whom  they  thus  worshiped.  The  people  were 
greatly  amused  by  the  rude  songs  and  dances  of  these 
worshipers  of  Dionysus,  and  crowds  gathered  about  them 
to  listen  to  their  singing  and  to  watch  their  antics. 

Thes'pis,  a  Greek  of  great  intelligence,  noticed  how 
popular  these  amusements  were,  and  to  please  the 
public  taste  he  set  up  the  first  rude  theater.  In  the 
beginning  it  was  only  a  few  boards  raised  on  trestles  to 
form  a  sort  of  stage  in  the  open  air;  but  Thespis  soon 
built  a  booth,  so  that  the  actors,  when  not  on  the  stage, 
could  be  hidden  from  public  view. 

The  first  plays,  as  already  stated,  were  very  simple, 
and  consisted  of  popular  songs  rudely  acted.  Little  by 
little,  however,  the  plays  became  more  and  more  elabo- 
rate, and  the  actors  tried  to  represent  some  of  the  tales 
which  the  story-tellers  had  told. 

Some  people  did  not  approve  of  this  kind  of  amuse- 
ment ;  and  among  them  was  Solon,  who  said  that  Thespis 
was  teaching  the  Athenians  to  love  a  lie,  because  they 
liked  the  plays,  which,  of  course,  were  not  true. 

In  spite  of  Solon's  displeasure,  the  actors  went  on 
playing,  and  soon  the  best  poets  began  to  write  works 
for  the  stage.  The  actors  became  more  and  more  skill- 
ful, and  had  many  spectators,  although  no  women  were 
allowed  on  the  stage,  their  parts  being  taken  by  men. 

Finally,  to  make  room  for  the  ever-increasing  number 
of  theater  goers,  a  huge  amphitheater  was  built.  It  was 
so  large,  we  are  told,  that  there  were  seats  for  thirty 
thousand   spectators.     These   seats   were  in  semicircular 


94 


rows  or  tiers,  of  which  there  were  one  hundred,  rising 
one  above  another.  The  lowest  row  of  all,  near  the 
orchestra,  was  composed  of  sixty 
huge  marble  chairs.  The  am- 
kji  phitheater  was  open  to  the 
sky,  the  stage  alone  being 
covered  with  a  roof;  and  all 
the  plays  were  given  by  day- 
l  light.  The  ruins  of  this  build- 
ing, which  is  known  as  the 
Theater  of  Dionysus,  were 
dug  out  in  1862,  and  are  now 
often  visited  by  people  who 
go  to  Athens. 

The  Greek  actors  soon 
dressed  in  costume,  and  all 
.wore  masks  expressing  the 
various  emotions  they  wished 
to  represent.  The  principal 
parts  of  the  play  were  re- 
cited ;  but  from  time  to  time 
singers  came  on  the  stage, 
and  chanted  parts  of  the  play 
in  chorus. 

Some  of  these  plays  were 
so  sad  that  the  whole  audience  was  melted  to  tears ; 
others  were  so  funny  that  the  people  shouted  with  laugh- 
ter. When  you  learn  Greek,  you  will  be  able  to  read 
the  grand  tragedies  which  were  written  by  ^Es'chy-lus, 
Soph'o-cles,  and  Eu-rip'i-des,  and  the  comedies  or  funny 
plays  of  Ar-is-toph'a-nes. 


Sophocles. 


95 


XXXVI.     THE   TYRANT    PISISTRATUS. 

NOT  very  long  after  Solon  had  given  the  new  laws 
to  the  Athenians,  the  two  political  parties  of  the 
city  again  began  to  quarrel.  One  of  these  parties  was 
composed  wholly  of  rich  men  and  nobles,  or  aristoi,  from 
which  Greek  word  is  formed  oar  English  word  "  aristo- 
crat;" the  other  party  included  the  farmers  and  poor 
people,  or  demos,  the  Greek  term  which  has  given  rise 
to  the  word  "democrat." 

Among  the  aristocrats,  or  nobles,  there  was  a  nephew 
of  Solon  called  Pi-sis'tra-tus.  He  was  very  rich ;  but, 
instead  of  upholding  his  own  party,  he  seemed  to  scorn 
the  rich,  and  always  sided  with  the  poor.  To  make 
friends  with  the  democrats,  he  pretended  to  obey  the 
laws  with  the  greatest  care,  and  addressed  every  man 
with  the  utmost  politeness. 

Once,  having  killed  a  man  by  accident,  Pisistratus 
came  of  his  own  free  will  before  the  judges  of  the  Areop- 
agus, confessed  his  crime,  and  was  so  humble  that  he 
quite  disarmed  the  anger  of  the  people. 

As  soon  as  he  felt  quite  sure  that  he  had  won  many 
friends  among  the  poor,  Pisistratus  appeared  one  day  in 
the  market  place,  covered  with  blood,  which  flowed  from 
slight  wounds  which  he  had  made  upon  his  own  body. 

His  polite  manners  and  kindly  words  had  been  only 
a  pretense,  however;  and  he  was  not  only  a  hypocrite, 
but  also  a  liar.  So  he  now  said  that  the  aristocrats  had 
tried  to  kill  him  because  he  was  the  friend  of  the  people. 

In    proof   of   these  words,   he  pointed  to   his  wounds. 


96 

The  poorer  Athenians,  who  believed  him,  were  very  in- 
dignant, and  began  to  talk  angrily  about  the  wicked 
nobles,  who  had  hurt  Pisistratus  only  because  he  was 
ready  to  help  them. 

When  Pisistratus  cried  out  that  his  life  was  no  longer 
safe,  "all  the  democrats  exclaimed  that  they  would  protect 
him ;  and,  as  they  had  the  right  of  voting,  they  then  and 
there  said  that  he  should  have  a  bodyguard  of  fifty 
armed  men  to  protect  him. 

Pisistratus  pretended  to  be  very  grateful  for  this  favor, 
and,  under  pretext  of  choosing  his  bodyguard,  engaged  a 
great  number  of  soldiers.  When  his  plans  were  all  ready, 
he  took  possession  of  the  Acropolis  by  force. 

The  people  now  found  out,  but  too  late,  that  Pisistratus 
had  deceived  them  only  to  get  more  power;  and  that, 
thanks  to  the  guard  they  had  voted  him,  he  had  become 
master  of  the  town,  and  held  the  reins  of  the  govern- 
ment. 

The  Athenians  did  not  long  remain  angry  with  their 
former  favorite,  however;  for  he  did  all  he  could  to 
make  them  happy,  and  ruled  them  very  wisely.  He 
improved  the  city  by  building  magnificent  temples  and 
other  public  buildings,  and  made  a  great  aqueduct,  so 
that  the  people  could  have  plenty  of  pure  water  to 
drink. 

Pisistratus  also  laid  out  a  public  park,  the  Ly-ce'um, 
just  outside  the  city  walls,  so  that  the  Athenians  could 
go  there,  and  enjoy  the  cool  shade  of  the  groves  he  had 
planted. 

Then  he  began  to  collect  all  the  poems  of  Homer, 
had  them  carefully  written  down,  and  placed  them  in  a 


97 

public  library,  so  that  the  Greeks  could  read  them  when- 
ever they  pleased.  Until  then  these  poems  had  only 
been  recited,  and  no  written  copy  existed.  Pisistratus, 
therefore,  did  a  very  good  work  in  thus  keeping  for  our 
enjoyment  the  greatest  epic  poems  ever  composed. 

As  Pisistratus  ruled  just  as  he  pleased,  without  con- 
sulting the  Tribunal  or  people,  he  has  been  called  a 
tyrant.  This  word  in  those  days  meant  "supreme  ruler;" 
but  as  many  of  those  who  followed  him  made  a  bad  use 
of  their  power,  and  were  cruel  and  grasping,  its  meaning 
soon  changed,  and  the  word  now  means  "a  selfish  and 
unkind  ruler." 


:>>**< 


XXXVII.     THE   TYRANT'S    INSULT. 

WHILE  Pisistratus  was  thus  governing  Athens  to 
suit  himself,  Solon  was  traveling  in  Asia,  where 
he  met  several  interesting  persons  of  whom  you  will  hear 
in  ancient  history. 

Solon  had  gone  away  for  ten  years,  hoping  that  the 
Athenians  would  strictly  obey  his  laws.  During  that 
time  he  had  no  news  of  his  native  land ;  for  there  were 
no  post  offices  or  newspapers  in  those  days,  and  peo- 
ple neither  wrote  nor  received  letters  except  when  some- 
thing very  important  happened. 

On  coming  back  to  Athens,  Solon  was  very  sorry 
to  learn  that  it  was  Pisistratus,  his  own  kinsman,  who 
had  taken  the  power  of  the  archons ;  but  when  he  saw 
how  wisely   Pisistratus    governed    the    people,    and    how 

STO.  OF  GR.  —  7 


careful  he  was  to  make  them  happy  and  improve  them, 
he  freely  forgave  him,  and  remained  on  good  terms  with 
him  until  he  died. 

Pisistratus  went  on  ruling  the  Athenians  for  thirty- 
three  years,  and  when  he  died  they  mourned  him  greatly. 
In  their  grief  for  their  loss,  they  allowed  his  sons,  Hip'- 
pi-as  and  Hip-par'chus,  to  succeed  him,  without  raising 
any  objections. 

These  young  men  were  very  careful  at  first  to  follow 
their  father's  good  example ;  but  they  soon  began  to 
neglect  business  for  pleasure,  and,  instead  of  thinking  of 
the  people's  good,  they  spent  much  of  their  time  in  feast- 
ing and  drinking. 

In  those  days  there  dwelt  at  Athens  two  young  men 
named  Har-mo'di-us  and  A-ris-to-gi'ton.  They  were  inti- 
mate friends,  and  were  loved  by  all  on  account  of  their 
good  qualities,  and  more  especially .  because  they  were 
so  anxious  to  increase  the  glory  and  prosperity  of  their 
native  city. 

Harmodius  had  a  sister  who  was  as  good  as  she  was 
beautiful :  so  the  people,  hoping  to  please  him,  chose 
her  to  carry  a  basket  of  flowers  in  the  great  religious 
procession  which  took  place  in  Athens  every  year. 

One  of  the  tyrants,  Hipparchus,  was  very  jealous  of 
Harmodius,  because  the  people  loved  him  so  much.  He 
therefore  tried  to  annoy  the  young  man  in  every  way ; 
and  when  he  heard  that  his  sister  had  been  chosen  to  bear 
the  flowers,  he  rudely  forbade  her  presence  at  the  feast. 

This  was  a  great  insult,  for  none  but  wicked  women 
were  forbidden  to  appear;  and,  as  Hipparchus  had  thus 
publicly  disgraced  the  girl,  her  brother  was  very  angry. 


99 

His  friend,  Aristogiton,  was  as  angry  as  he;  and  the 
two  young  men,  consulting  together,  decided  that  as  long 
as  these  men  ruled,  the  Athenians  would  be  treated 
badly,  and  that  it  would  be  well  to  get  rid  of  them 
soon. 


>*«C 


XXXVIII.     DEATH    OF   THE   CONSPIRATORS. 

HARMODIUS  and  Aristogiton,  having  decided  to  get 
rid  of  the  tyrants,  told  their  plans  to  a  few  of  their 
friends.  Secret  meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  a 
brave  lady  called  Le-ae'na  ("  the  lioness "),  who  was  the 
only  woman  in  the  plot. 

As  the  Athenians  were  in  the  habit  of  attending  the 
feast  in  armor,  the  young  men  waited  until  then  to  carry 
out  their  plans.  They  mingled  with  the  crowd,  found 
a  good  place  near  the  tyrants,  and  all  at  once  drew 
their  swords  from  their  scabbards  and  attacked  their 
enemies. 

Harmodius  was  so  quick  that  he  managed  to  kill 
Hipparchus ;  but,  before  his  companions  could  join  and 
protect  him,  he  was  cut  down  by  the  tyrants'  guards. 

Aristogiton,  his  friend,  rushed  forward  to  save  him, 
but  was  made  prisoner,  and  dragged  before  Hippias,  who 
bade  him  tell  the  names  of  his  companions.  The  young 
man  at  first  refused  to  speak;  but  after  a  while,  pre- 
tending to  yield,  he  named  some  of  the  tyrants'  friends 
who  were  helping  him  oppress  the  Athenians. 


IOO 


The  tyrant,  in  dismay,  sent  for  the  accused,  and  had 
them  and  Aristogiton  killed  without  trial.  When  he  found 
out  his  mistake,  he  again  tried  to  learn  the  names  of  the 
real  conspirators.  He  knew  that  Harmodius  and  Aristo- 
giton had  often  visited  Leaena :  so  he  had  her  imprisoned 
and  tortured,  to  make  her  tell  the  names  of  the  conspir- 
ators, because  he  wanted  to  kill  them  all  as  he  had 
killed  Aristogiton. 

The  brave  woman,  knowing  that  the  lives  of  several 
young  men  depended  upon  her,  and  that  a  single  word 
might  cause  their  death,  resolved  not  to  utter  a  sound. 
In  spite  of  the  most  awful  tortures,  she  therefore  kept 
her  mouth  tightly  closed ;  and  when  she  was  finally  set 
free,  they  found  that  she  had  bitten  off  her  tongue  for 
fear  of  betraying  her  friends. 

Poor  Leaena  did  not  live  long  after  this ;  and  when  she 
died,  she  was  buried  in  a  beautiful  tomb,  over  which  her 
friends  put  the  image  of  a  lioness  without  a  tongue,  to 
remind  the  people  of  her  courage. 

The  Athenians  were  very  sorry  for  her  death,  and 
mourned  the  brave  youths  Harmodius  and  Aristogiton 
for  a  long  time ;  but  the  tyranny  of  the  son  of  Pisistra- 
tus  daily  grew  more  cruel  and  disagreeable. 


>**< 


XXXIX.     HIPPIAS    DRIVEN    OUT    OF   ATHENS. 

FOUR  years  passed  thus,  and  the  Athenians  were  hop- 
ing that  the  time  would  soon  come  when  they  could 
get  rid  of  Hippias.     They  were  only  too  glad,  therefore, 


IOI 


when  they  at  last  found  a  way  to  drive  him  out  of  the 
town. 

You  must  remember  how  Megacles  had  killed  the  men 
who  came  out  of  Athene's  temple  clinging  to  the  cord  they 
had  fastened  to  her  statue.  Megacles,  as  you  know,  had 
been  banished  from  Athens  with  all  his  family  (the  Alc- 


.'..;.*      '\ 


Delphi. 


maeonidae)  on  account  of  this  crime,  but  he  had  always 
hoped  to  be  allowed  to  return. 

Meanwhile  the  beautiful  temple  at  Delphi  had  been 
burned  to  the  ground,  and  the  people  were  very  anxious 
to  rebuild  it.  They  therefore  voted  a  certain  sum  of 
money  for  this  purpose;  and,  as  the  Alcmaeonidae  offered 


102 


to  do  the  work  for  the  least  pay,  the  contract  was  given 
to  them. 

The  Alcmaeonidse  faithfully  carried  out  the  plans,  and 
used  the  money ;  but,  instead  of  building  the  temple  of 
brick,  they  made  it  of  pure  white  marble,  paying  for  the 
more  costly  material  themselves. 

The  priests  of  Delphi  were  so  pleased  with  the  hand- 
some new  building,  and  with  the  generosity  of  the  builders, 
that  they  were  eager  to  do  them  a  good  turn.  So,  know- 
ing that  the  Alcmaeonidae  wanted  to  get  back  to  Athens, 
they  told  the  Spartans  who  came  to  consult  the  oracle, 
that  Hippias  should  be  driven  away,  and  the  Alcmae- 
onidae  allowed  to  return  to  their  native  city. 

As  the  people  believed  all  the  oracle  said,  the  Spar- 
tans armed  at  once,  and,  helped  by  the  Alcmaeonidce, 
began  to  make  war  against  the  Athenians.  By  a  clever 
trick,  they  soon  managed  to  capture  the  family  of  Hip- 
pias, and  they  refused  to  set  them  free  unless  the  tyrant 
left  Athens  forever. 

Thus  forced  to  give  in,  Hippias  left  Athens,  and  with- 
drew with  his  family  to  Asia  Minor.  Here  he  spent 
all  his  time  in  trying  to  persuade  the  different  cities  to 
make  war  against  Athens,  offering  to  lead  their  armies, 
for  he  still  hoped  to  regain  his  lost  power. 

The  Athenians,  delighted  at  the  expulsion  of  the 
Pis-is-trat'i-dae,  as  the  driving-away  of  Hippias  and  his 
family  is  called  in  history,  now  dared  to  make  statues  in 
honor  of  their  favorites  Harmodius  and  Aristogiton,  and 
openly  expressed  their  regret  that  these  brave  young 
men  had  not  lived  to  see  their  native  city  free. 

Many  songs  were  composed  to  celebrate  the  patriotism 


io 


of  the  two  friends ;  and  these  were  sung  on  all  public 
occasions,  to  encourage  other  youths  to  follow  their 
example,  lead  good  and  virtuous  lives,  and  be  ready  at 
any  time  to  die,  if  need  be,  for  the  sake  of  their  native 
land. 

Leaena,  too,  received  much  praise,  for  the  Athenian 
women  never  forgot  how  bravely  she  had  endured  tor- 
ture rather  than  betray  the  men  who  had  trusted  her. 

The  Alcmaeonidae,  having  thus  found  their  way  back 
into  the  city,  now  began  to  play  an  important  part  in 
the  government;  and  Clis'the-nes,  their  leader,  urged 
the  Athenians  to  obey  again  the  laws  which  had  been 
made  by  Solon. 

These  were  slightly  changed,  however,  so  as  to  give 
more  power  to  the  people ;  and  the  government  thus 
became  more  democratic  than  ever.  Then,  too,  Clis- 
thenes  said  that  there  should  always  be  ten  Athenian 
generals  who  should  hold  supreme  command  each  for 
a  day  in  turn. 

He  also  made  a  law,  to  the  effect  that  no  man  should 
be  driven  out  of  the  city  unless  there  were  six  thousand 
votes  in  favor  of  his  exile.  These  votes  were  given  in 
a  strange  way. 

When  a  man  was  so  generally  disliked  that  his  de- 
parture seemed  best,  all  the  Athenians  assembled  in  the 
market  place.  Then  each  voter  received  a  shell  (Greek, 
ostrakou),  and  dropped  it  into  a  place  made  for  that 
purpose.  All  in  favor  of  banishment  wrote  upon  their 
shells  the  name  of  the  man  they  wished  to  exile.  The 
others  left  theirs  blank. 

When  all  the  votes  had  thus  been  cast,  the  shells  were 


104 

carefully  counted,  and,  if  six  thousand  bore  the  name 
of  the  same  man,  he  was  driven  out  of  the  city,  or 
ostracized,  as  it  was  called  from  the  name  of  the  shell, 
for  ten  years. 

XL.     THE   GREAT   KING. 

HIPPIAS,  the  exiled  tyrant  of  Athens,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  had  taken  up  his  abode  in  Asia 
Minor,  where  he  made  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to 
regain  his  power. 

The  Greek  cities  were  not  ready  to  help  him,  how- 
ever, so  he  tried  to  get  another  ally.  Now,  the  greatest 
ruler  in  Asia  Minor  was  Da-ri'us,  the  king  who  won 
his  throne  by  the  aid  of  his  horse  and  groom,  as  you 
will  see  in  ancient  history. 

He  was  a  powerful  monarch,  —  so  powerful  that  the 
Greeks,  who  had  built  cities  all  along  the  coast  of  Asia 
Minor,  in  the  country  called  Ionia,  never  spoke  of  him 
except  as  "  The  Great  King." 

Darius'  kingdom  was  so  large  that  it  was  quite  im- 
possible for  one  person  to  govern  it  without  help.  He 
therefore  divided  it  into  satrapies,  or  provinces,  each  of 
which  was  under  the  care  of  a  satrap,  or  governor. 
These  men  received  their  orders  from  the  king,  saw 
that  they  were  obeyed  in  all  the  territory  under  their 
care,  and  kept  Darius  informed  of  all  that  was  go- 
ing on. 

The  Great  King  generally  dwelt  at  Ec-bat'a-na,  a 
city  surrounded  by  seven  walls,  each  painted  in  a  differ- 


ent  but  very  bright  color.  Inside  the  seventh  and  last 
wall  stood  the  palace  and  treasure  house,  which  was 
fairly  overflowing  with  gold  and  precious  stones. 

As  there  were  armed  soldiers  at  every  gate  in  the 
seven  walls,  only  the  people  to  whom  the  king  was 
willing  to  grant  an  audience  could  enter. 

Now,  although  so  secluded,  Darius  knew  perfectly 
well  all  that  was  happening  in  every  part  of  his  king- 
dom, and  even  in  the  neighboring  states ;  for  his  satraps 
sent  him  messengers  daily  to  report  all  the  news,  and 
he  had  many  paid  spies,  whose  duty  it  was  to  tell  him 
all  they  knew. 

He  was  therefore  one  of  the  first  Eastern  rulers  who 
heard  of  the  revolt  of  the  Athenians ;  and  soon  after 
this  he  learned  that  Hippias  had  come  to  Asia,  and  was 
trying  to  induce  the  Greek  cities  to  make  war  against 
the  Athenians. 

When  Hippias  arrived  at  Ecbatana  in  search  of  aid, 
he  could  not  immediately  see  the  king,  but  was  obliged 
to  send  in  a  message  written  on  a  waxen  tablet.  This 
passed  from  hand  to  hand,  and  finally  reached  Darius, 
who,  recognizing  the  name  at  the  bottom  of  the  request, 
graciously  said  that  he  would  receive  the  exiled  tyrant 
of  Athens. 

XLI.     HIPPIAS   VISITS    DARIUS. 

HIPPIAS  was  led  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the  king's 
household    past   all   the    guards,    who    respectfully 
made  way  for  him,  and  was  brought  into  the  most  mag- 


io6 


nificent  dwelling  he  had  ever  seen.  All  the  walls  were 
covered  with  silken  hangings  of  the  richest  dyes,  and 
the  furniture  sparkled  with  gold  and  precious  stones. 

After  passing  through  many  rooms,  where  he  saw 
richly  dressed  courtiers,  and  guards  with  jeweled  weap- 
ons, Hippias  was  finally  brought  into  a  great  audience 
chamber,  at  one  end  of  which  hung  a  heavy  curtain  of 
royal  purple. 

Here  all  the  courtiers  knelt,  bending  over  to  touch 
the  floor  with  their  foreheads,  in  token  of  homage  to 
The  Great  King.  The  officer  now  bade  Hippias  do  like- 
wise; and  when  the  Athenian  raised  his  head,  after 
reluctantly  going  through  this  performance,  he  saw  that 
the  curtain  had  been  quietly  ■  pulled  aside. 

On  a  beautiful  throne  of  ivory  and  gold,  all  over- 
shadowed by  a  golden  vine  bearing  clusters  of  jeweled 
grapes,  sat  the  Persian  king.  He  was  clad  in  superbly 
embroidered  robes,  wore  a  diamond  crown  or  tiara,  held 
a  scepter  of  pure  gold,  and  was  surrounded  by  his 
officers,  who  were  almost  as  richly  dressed  as  he. 

As  the  Athenians  were  plain  people,  Hippias  had 
never  seen  such  a  sight  before,  and  stared  at  the  gar- 
ments, which  were  far  handsomer  than  those  which  the 
Greek  gods  were  given  to  wear. 

Invited  to  speak  freely  and  make  his  errand  known, 
Hippias  now  told  Darius  that  he  had  come  to  ask  his 
aid  against  the  revolted  Athenians.  Darius  listened 
politely  to  all  he  had  to  say,  and  then  sent  him  away, 
graciously  promising  to  think  the  matter  over,  and  giv- 
ing orders  that  Hippias  should  be  royally  entertained  in 
the  mean  while. 


107 

Among  Darius'  numerous  slaves,  most  of  whom  were 
captives  of  war,  there  was  a  learned  Greek  doctor  called 
Dem-o-ce'des.  This  man,  hoping  soon  to  recover  his 
freedom  by  paying  a  sum  of  money,  was  very  careful 
to  hide  his  name,  and  not  to  tell  any  one  how  much  he 
knew. 

It  happened,  however,  that  the  king  hurt  his  foot ; 
and  after  the  Persian  doctors  had  all  vainly  tried  to  cure 
him,  he  sent  for  Democedes,  saying  that  he  would  put 
him  to  death  if  he  did  not  speedily  help  him. 

Thus  forced  to  use  his  knowledge,  Democedes  did  all 
he  could  for  the  king,  and  treated  the  wound  so  skill- 
fully that  the  monarch  was  soon  cured.  The  king,  who 
had  found  out  from  the  other  captives  that  the  man  was 
a  doctor,  now  named  him  court  physician,  and  even  had 
him  attend  his  wives. 

One  of  these  women  was  A-tos'sa,  the  favorite  queen ; 
and  when  she  became  ill,  Democedes  was  fortunate 
enough  to  save  her  life.  The  king  was  so  delighted 
with  this  cure,  that  he  bade  Democedes  choose  any  re- 
ward he  pleased  except  his  freedom. 

Democedes,  after  a  few  moments'  thought,  asked  per- 
mission to  visit  his  native  land  once  more;  and  Darius 
let  him  go  under  the  escort. of  fifteen  officers,  who  had 
orders  not  to  lose  sight  of  the  doctor  for  a  moment,  to 
bring  him  back  by  force  if  necessary,  and  to  spy  out 
the  land. 

In  spite  of  the  constant  watching  of  these  fifteen  men, 
Democedes  managed  to  escape  while  they  were  in  Greece, 
and  hid  so  well  that  they  were  never  able  to  find  him. 
They  were  therefore  obliged  to  go  home  without  him; 


io8 


and  as  soon  as  they  arrived  in  Persia,  they  reported  to 
Darius  all  they  had  done  on  the  way. 

The  Great  King  questioned  them  very  closely  about 
all  they  had  seen ;  and  his  curiosity  was  so  excited  by 
what  they  told  him,  that  he  made  up  his  mind  to  con- 
quer Greece  and  add  it  to  his  kingdom. 

He  therefore  sent  for  Hippias  again,  told  him  that  he 
was  ready  to  help  him,  and  gave  orders  to  collect  one 
of  the  largest  armies  that  had  ever  been  seen.  With 
this  army  he  hoped  not  only  to  take  the  whole  coun- 
try, but  also  to  get  back  the  runaway  doctor,  Dem- 
ocedes,  who  in  the  mean  while  was  living  peacefully  in 
Greece,  where  he  had  married  a  daughter  of  the  famous 
strong  man,  Milo  of  Croton. 


* 


£*<c 


XLII.     DESTRUCTION    OF   THE   PERSIAN 
HOST. 

THE  Persian  preparations  for  war  were  hastened 
by  news  that  all  the  Ionian  cities  had  rebelled. 
These  were,  as  you  remember,  Greek  colonies  founded 
on  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor.  They  had  \  little  by  little 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Persians ;  but,  as  they  hated 
to  submit  to  foreign  rule,  they  had  long  planned  a  revolt. 
The  Athenians,  who  knew  that  the  Persians  were  talk- 
ing of  coming  over  to  conquer  them,  now  offered  to  help 
the  Ionians,  and  sent  some  troops  over  to  Asia  Minor. 
These  joined  the  rebels,  and  together  they  managed  to 


109 

surprise  and  burn  to  the  ground  the  rich  city  of  Sar'dis, 
which  belonged  to  Darius. 

A  messenger  was  sent  in  hot  haste  to  bear  these  ti- 
dings to  The  Great  King ;  and  when  he  heard  them,  he 
was  very  angry  indeed.  In  his  wrath,  he  said  that  he 
would  punish  both  rebels  and  Athenians,  and  immedi- 
ately sent  his  army  into  Ionia. 

The  first  part  of  his  vow  was  easily  kept,  for  his 
troops  soon  defeated  the  Ionian  army,  and  forced  the 
rebels  to  obey  him  once  more.  When  Darius  heard  this, 
he  was  very  much  pleased ;  and  then,  sending  for  his 
bow,  he  shot  an  arrow  in  the  direction  of  Athens,  to 
show  that  the  punishment  of  the  Athenians  would  be 
his  next  care. 

As  he  was  afraid  of  forgetting  these  enemies  in  the 
pressure  of  other  business,  he  gave  orders  that  a  slave 
should  appear  before  him  every  day  wThile  he  sat  at 
dinner,  and  solemnly  say,  "  Master,  remember  the 
Athenians  !  " 

When  the  preparations  for  this  distant  war  were  ended, 
the  Persian  army  set  out  for  Greece.  In  order  to  reach 
that  country,  it  had  to  march  a  long  way  through  the 
northern  part  of  Asia  Minor,  cross  a  narrow  strait 
called  the  HeFles-pont,  and  pass  along  the  coast  of  the 
^Egean  Sea,  through  Thrace  and  Scyth'i-a. 

In  these  countries  the  Persian  army  met  the  fierce 
and  warlike  Scyth'i-ans  mounted  on  their  fleet-footed 
horses,  and  was  nearly  cut  to  pieces.  The  Persians 
were  so  frightened  by  the  attack  of  these  foes,  that 
they  refused  to  go  any  farther,  and  even  beat  a  hasty 
retreat. 


no 


The  Persian  fleet  in  the  mean  while  had  sailed  along 
bravely.  It  soon  came  to  the  promontory  formed  by 
Mount  A'thos,  a  tall  mountain  which  sometimes  casts  a 
shadow  eighty  miles  long  over  the  sea.  Here  a  terrible 
tempest  overtook  the  fleet,  and  the  waves  rose  so  high 
that  six  hundred  vessels  were  dashed  to  pieces. 

All  the  rest  of  the  Persian  vessels  were  so  damaged 
by  the  storm,  that  it  was  soon  decided  that  they  had 
better  return  home.  The  soldiers  of  The  Great  King 
were  of  course  greatly  discouraged  by  these  misfortunes ; 
but  Darius  was  more  than  ever  determined  to  conquer 
Greece,  and  at  once  began  to  gather  a  second  army  and 
to  build  a  second  fleet. 


>xx< 


XLIII.     THE   ADVANCE   OF   THE   SECOND 
HOST. 

DARIUS  was  very  busy  preparing  this  other  army 
to  march  against  Greece.  While  the  men  were 
being  drilled,  he  sent  two  messengers  to  the  Greek  towns 
and  islands,  bidding  them  surrender  and  give  him  earth 
and  water. 

By  demanding  "earth  and  water,"  Darius  meant  that 
he  wanted  them  to  recognize  him  as  their  king,  and  as 
master  of  all  their  lands  and  vessels.  The  inhabitants 
of  many  of  the  islands  and  towns  were  so  frightened 
by  the  messages  sent  by  The  Great  King,  that,  they 
humbly  yielded ;  but  when  the  messengers  came  to 
Sparta  and  Athens,  they  met  with  a  different  reception. 


Ill 


In  both  cities  the  people  proudly  replied  that  they 
were  their  own  masters,  and  would  not  yield  to  the 
demands  of  the  Persian  king.  Then,  angered  by  the 
insolent  command  to  give  earth  and  water,  the  Spar- 
tans entirely  forgot  that  the  life  of  an  ambassador  is 
sacred.  In  their  rage,  they  seized  the  Persians,  flung 
one  into  a  pit  and  the  other  into  a  well,  and  told  them 
to  take  all  the  earth  and  water  they  wanted. 

This  conduct  made  Darius  all  the  more  angry,  and  he 
hastened  his  preparations  as  much  as  he  could.  He  was 
so  active  that  in  a  short  time  he  was  able  to  start  out 
again,  with  an  army  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
men. 

The  generals  of  this  force  were  Da'tis  and  Ar-ta-pher'= 
nes,  who  were  guided  and  advised  by  the  traitor  Hippias. 
The  fleet  was  to  land  the  army  on  the  plain  of  Mar'a-thon, 
close  by  the  sea,  and  only  one  day's  journey  from  Athens. 

When  the  Athenians  heard  that  the  Persians  were 
coming,  they  immediately  decided  to  ask  the  Spartans, 
who  were  now  their  allies,  to  come  to  their  aid,  and  help 
them  drive  back  the  enemy.  As  there  was  no  time  to 
lose,  they  chose  as  their  messenger  a  fleet-footed  Athe- 
nian, who  made  the  journey  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
in  a  few  hours,  running  every  step  of  the  way,  and  only 
seldom  pausing  to  rest. 

The  Spartans  listened  breathlessly  to  his  tidings,  and 
promised  that  they  would  help  the  Athenians ;  but  they 
added,  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  start  until  the 
moon  was  full,  for  they  thought  that  they  would  be 
beaten  unless  they  set  out  at  a  certain  time. 

The  Persians  in  the  mean  while  were  advancing  rapidly, 


so  the  Athenians  started  out  to  meet  them  with  no  other 
help  than  that  of  their  neighbors  the  Pla-tae'ans.  The 
whole  Greek  force  numbered  only  ten  thousand  men, 
and  was  under  the  command  of  the  ten  Athenian  gen- 
erals who  were  each  entitled  to  the  leadership  for  a 
day  in  turn. 

Among  these  ten  Athenian  generals  were  three  remark- 
able men,  —  Mil-ti'a-des,  Ar-is-ti'des,  and  The-mis'to-cles. 
They  consulted  together,  hoping  to 
find  a  plan  by  which  their  small 
army  could  successfully  oppose 
the    Persian    host,    which    was 
twelve  times  greater. 

At  last  Miltiades  proposed 
a  plan  which  might  succeed, 
provided  there  was  but  one 
chief,  and  all  obeyed  him  well. 
Aristides,  who  was  not  only  a 
good  man,  but  also  remarkably 
just  and  wise,  at  once  saw  the 
importance  of  such  a  plan,  and 
offered  to  give  up  his  day's 
command,  and  to  carry  out 
his  friend's  orders  just  as  if  he  were  nothing  but  a  com- 
mon soldier. 

The  other  generals,  not  wishing  to  appear  less  gener- 
ous than  he,  also  gave  up  their  command  to  Miltiades, 
who  thus  found  himself  general  in  chief  of  the  Athenian 
and  Plataean  armies.  So  he  speedily  made  his  prepara- 
tions, and  drew  up  his  small  force  on  the  plain  of  Mara- 
thon, between  the  mountains  and  the  sea. 


Themistocles. 


"3 


XLIV.     THE   BATTLE   OF    MARATHON. 

THE  Greek  army  seemed  so  very  small  beside  the  huge 
host  of  invaders,  that  the  Persians  felt  perfectly  sure 
that  it  would  surrender  as  soon  as  the  fight  began.  Im- 
agine their  surprise,  therefore,  when  the  Greeks,  instead 
of  waiting  for  them,  gave  the  signal  for  battle,  and  rushed 
furiously  upon  them. 

The  daring  and  force  of  the  Greek  attack  so  con- 
fused the  Persians,  that  they  began  to  give  way.  This 
encouraged  the  Greeks  still  further,  and  they  fought 
with  such  bravery  that  soon  the  army  of  The  Great  King 
was  completely  routed. 

Hippias,  fighting  at  the  head  of  the  Persian  army, 
was  one  of  the  first  to  die;  and  when  the  Persians  saw 
their  companions  falling  around  them  like  ripe  grain 
under  the  mower's  scythe,  they  were  seized  with  terror, 
rushed  toward  the  sea,  and  embarked  in  their  vessels  in 
great  haste. 

The  Athenians  followed  the  enemy  closely,  killing  all 
they  could  reach,  and  trying  to  prevent  them  from  em- 
barking and  so  escaping  their  wrath.  One  Greek  soldier 
even  rushed  down  into  the  waves,  and  held  a  Persian 
vessel  which  was  about  to  push  off. 

The  Persians,  anxious  to  escape,  struck  at  him,  and 
chopped  off  his  hand  ;  but  the  Greek,  without  hesitating 
a  moment,  grasped  the  boat  with  his  other  hand,  and 
held  it  fast.  In  their  hurry  to  get  away,  the  Persians 
struck  off  that  hand  too;  but  the  dauntless  hero  caught 
and  held  the  boat  with  his  strong  teeth,  and  died  beneath 

STO.  OF  GR.  —  8 


114 

the  repeated  blows  of  the  enemy  without  having  once  let 
go.     Thanks  to  him,  not  one  of  those  enemies  escaped. 

The  victory  was  a  glorious'  one.  The  whole  Persian 
fo*rce  had  been  routed  by  a  mere  handful  of  men ;  and 
the  Athenians  were  so  proud  of  their  victory,  that  they 
longed  to  have  their  fellow-citizens  rejoice  with  them. 

One  of  the  soldiers,  who  had  fought  bravely  all  day, 
and  who  was  covered  with  blood,  said  he  would  carry 
the  glad  news,  and,  without  waiting  a  moment,  he  started 
off  at  a  run. 

Such  was  his  haste,  to  reassure  the  Athenians,  that 
he  ran  at  his  utmost  speed,  and  reached  the  city  in  a 
few  hours.  He  was  so  exhausted,  however,  that  he  had 
barely  time  to  gasp  out,  "  Rejoice,  we  have  conquered !  " 
before  he  sank  down  in  the  middle  of  the  market  place, 
dead. 

The  Greeks,  having  no  more  foes  to  kill,  next  began 
to  rob  the  tents,  where  they  found  so  much  booty  that 
each  man  became  quite  rich.  Then  they  gathered  up 
their  dead,  and  buried  them  honorably  on  the  battlefield, 
at  a  spot  where  they  afterward  erected  ten  small  columns 
bearing  the  names  of  all  who  had  lost  their  lives  in 
the  conflict. 

Just  as  all  was  over,  the  Spartan  force  came  rushing 
up,  ready  to  give  their  promised  aid.  They  were  so 
sorry  not  to  have  had  a  chance  to  fight  also,  and  to 
have  missed  a  share  in  the  glory,  that  they  vowed  they 
would  never  again  allow  any  superstition  to  prevent 
their  striking  a  blow  for  their  native  land  whenever  the 
necessity  arose. 

Miltiades.  instead  of    permitting   his  weary  soldiers  to 


H5 

camp  on  the  battlefield,  and  celebrate  their  victory  by 
a  grand  feast,  next  ordered  them  to  march  on  to  the 
city,  so  as  to  defend  it  in  case  the  Persian  fleet  came  to 
attack  it. 

The  troops  had  scarcely  arrived  in  town  and  taken 
up  their  post  there,  when  the  Persian  vessels  came  in ; 
but  when  the  soldiers  attempted  to  land,  and  saw  the 
same  men  ready  to  meet  them,  they  were  so  dismayed 
that  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat  without  striking  another 
blow. 

XLV.     MILTIADES'    DISGRACE. 

THE  victory  of  Marathon  was  a  great  triumph  for 
the  Athenians;  and  Miltiades,  who  had  so  success- 
fully led  them,  was  loaded  with  honors.  His  portrait 
was  painted  by  the  best  artist  of  the  day,  and  it  was 
placed  in  one  of  the  porticos  of  Athens,  where  every 
one  could  see  it. 

At  his  request,  the  main  part  of  the  booty  was  given 
to  the  gods,  for  the  Greeks  believed  that  it  was  owing  to 
divine  favor  that  they  had  conquered  their  enemies.  The 
brazen  arms  and  shields  which  they  had  taken  from  the 
ten  thousand  Persians  killed  were  therefore  melted,  and 
formed  into  an  immense  statue  of  Athene,  which  was 
placed  on  the  Acropolis,  on  a  pedestal  so  high  that  the 
glittering  lance  which  the  goddess  held  could  be  seen 
far  out  at  sea  when  the  sunbeams  struck  its  point. 

The  Athenians  vented  their  triumph  and  delight  in 
song  and  dance,  in  plays  and  works  of  art  of  all  kinds ; 


u6 


for  they  wished  to  commemorate  the  glorious  victory 
which  had  cost  them  only  a  hundred  and  ninety  men, 
while  the  enemy  had  lost  ten  thousand. 

One  of  their  choicest  art  treasures  was  made  by 
Phidias,  the  greatest  sculptor  the  world  has  ever  known, 
out  of  a  beautiful  block  of  marble  which  Darius  had 
brought  from  Persia.  The  Great  King  had  intended  to 
set  it  up  in  Athens  as  a  monument  of  his  victory  over 
the  Greeks.  It  was  used  instead  to  record  his  defeat; 
and  when  finished,  the  statue  represented  Nem'e-sis,  the 
goddess  of  retribution,  whose  place  it  was  to  punish  the 
proud  and  insolent,  and  to  make  them  repent  of  their 
sins. 

Miltiades  was,  as  we  have  seen,  the  idol  of  the  Athe- 
nian people  after  his  victory  at  Marathon.  Unfortu- 
nately, however,  they  were  inclined  to  be  fickle;  and 
when  they  saw  that  Miltiades  occupied  such  a  high  rank, 
many  began  to  envy  him. 

Themistocles  was  particularly  jealous  of  the  great 
honors  that  his  friend  had  won.  His  friends  soon  noticed 
his  gloomy,  discontented  looks ;  and  when  they  inquired 
what  caused  them,  Themistocles  said  it  was  because  the 
thought  of  the  trophies  of ,  Miltiades  would  not  let  him 
sleep.  Some  time  after,  when  he  saw  that  Miltiades 
was  beginning  to  misuse  his  power,  he  openly  showed 
his  dislike. 

Not  very  far  from  Athens,  out  in  the  ALgean  Sea,  was 
the  Island  of  Pa'ros.  The  people  living  there  were  ene- 
mies of  Miltiades;  and  he,  being  sole  head  of  the  fleet, 
led  it  thither  to  avenge  his  personal  wrongs. 

The   expedition  failed,   however;   and    Miltiades  came 


ii7 

back  to  Athens,  where  Themistocles  and  the  indignant 
citizens  accused  him  of  betraying  his  trust,  tried  him, 
and  convicted  him  of  treason. 

Had  they  not  remembered  the  service  that  he  had 
rendered  his  country  in  defeating  the  Persians  at  Mara- 
thon, they  would  surely  have  condemned  him  to  death. 
As  it  was,  the  jury  merely  sentenced  him  to  pay  a 
heavy  fine,  saying  that  he  should  remain  in  prison  until 
it  was  paid. 

Miltiades  was  not  rich  enough  to  raise  this  large  sum 
of  money,  so  he  died  in  prison.  His  son  Ci'mon  went 
to  claim  his  body,  so  that  he  might  bury  it  properly ; 
but  the  hard-hearted  judges  refused  to  let  him  have  it 
until  he  had  paid  his  father's  debt. 

Thus  forced  to  turn  away  without  his  father's  corpse, 
Cimon  visited  his  friends,  who  lent  him  the  necessary 
money.  Miltiades,  who  had  been  the  idol  of  the  people, 
was  now  buried  hurriedly  and  in  secret,  because  the  un- 
grateful Athenians  had  forgotten  all  the  good  he  had 
done  them,  and  remembered  only  his  faults. 


>aKc 


XLVI.     ARISTIDES   THE  JUST. 

THE  Athenians  were  very  happy,  because  they  thought, 
that,  having  once  defeated  the  Persians,  they  need 
fear  them  no  more.  They  were  greatly  mistaken,  how- 
ever. The  Great  King  had  twice  seen  his  preparations 
come  to  naught  and  his  plans  ruined,  but  he  was  not 
yet  ready  to  give  up  the  hope  of  conquering  Greece. 


n8 


On  the  contrary,  he  solemnly  swore  that  he  would 
return  with  a  greater  army  than  ever,  and  make  himself 
master  of  the  proud  city  which  had  defied  him.  These 
plans  were  suspected  by  Themistocles,  who  therefore 
urged  the  Athenians  to  strengthen  their  navy,  so  that 
they  might  be  ready  for  war  when  it  came. 

Aristides,  the  other  general,  was  of  the  opinion  that 
it  was  useless  to  build  any  more  ships,  but  that  the 
Athenians  should  increase  Iheir  land  forces.  As  each 
general  had  a  large  party,  many  quarrels  soon  arose. 
It  became  clear  before  long,  that,  unless  one  of  the  two 
leaders  left  the  town,  there  would  be  an  outbreak  of 
civil  war. 

All  the  Athenians,  therefore,  gathered  together  in  the 
market  place,  where  they  were  to  vote  for  or  against 
the  banishment  of  one  of  the  leaders.  Of  course,  on 
this  great  occasion,  all  the  workmen  left  their  labors, 
and  even  the  farmers  came  in  from  the  fields. 

Aristides  was  walking  about  among  the  voters,  when 
a  farmer  stopped  him.  The  man  did  not  know  who  he 
was,  but  begged  him  to  write  his  vote  down  on  the 
shell,  for  he  had  never  even  learned  to  read. 

"  What  name  shall  I  write  ? "  questioned  Aristides. 

"Oh,  put  down  'Aristides,'"  answered  the  farmer. 

"  Why  do  ycu  want  him  sent  away  ?  Has  he  ever 
done  you  any  harm  ? "  asked  Aristides. 

"No,"  said  the  man,  "but  I'm  tired  of  hearing  him 
called  the  Just." 

Without  saying  another  word,  Aristides  calmly  wrote 
his  own  name  on  the  shell.  When  the  votes  were 
counted,    they    found     six     thousand    against    him :    so 


119 

Aristides   the  Just  was  f »  cced  to  leave  his  native  city, 
and  go  away  into  Csile. 

This  was  a  second  example  of  Athenian  ingratitude ; 
for  Aristides  had  never  done  anything  wrong,  but  had, 
on  the  contrary,  done  all  he  could  to  help  his  country. 
His  enemies,  however,  were  the  men  who  were  neither 
honest  nor  just,  and  who  felt  that  his  virtues  were 
a  constant  rebuke  to  them ;  and  this  was  the  very 
reason  why  they  were  so  anxious  to  get  him  out  of 
the  city. 


XLVII.     TWO    NOBLE   SPARTAN   YOUTHS. 

DARIUS  was  in  the  midst  of  his  preparations  for 
a  third  expedition  to  Greece,  when  all  his  plans 
were  cut  short  by  death.  His  son  and  successor, 
Xerx'es  I.,  now  became  King  of  Persia  in  his  stead. 

The  new  monarch  was  not  inclined  to  renew  the 
struggle  with  the  Greeks ;  but  his  courtiers  and  the 
exiled  Greeks  who  dwelt  in  his  palace  so  persistently 
urged  him  to  do  it,  that  he  finally  consented.  Orders 
were  then  sent  throughout  the  kingdom  to  get  ready 
for  war,  and  Xerxes  said  that  he  would  lead  the 
army  himself. 

During  eight  years  the  constant  drilling  of  troops, 
manufacture  of  arms,  collecting  of  provisions,  and  con- 
struction of  roads,  were  kept  up  all  through  Asia.  A 
mighty  fleet  lay  at  anchor,  and  the  king  was  almost 
ready  to  start.     Rumors  of  these  great  preparations  had, 


120 


of  course,  come  to  the  ears  of  the  Greeks.  All  hearts 
were  filled  with  trouble  and  fear;  for  the  coming  army 
was  far  larger  than  the  one  the  Athenians  had  defeated 
at  Marathon,  and  they  could  not  expect  to  be  so  fortu- 
nate again. 

When  the  Spartans  saw  the  terror  of  the  people,  they 
regretted  having  angered  the  king  by  killing  the  Persian 
messengers,  and  wondered  what  they  could  do  to  disarm 
his  wrath.  Two  young  men,  Bu'lis  and  Sper'thi-as,  then 
nobly  resolved  to  offer  their  lives  in  exchange  for 
those  that  had  been  taken. 

They  therefore  set  out  for  Persia,  and,  having  obtained 
permission  to  enter  the  palace,  appeared  before  the  king. 
Here  the  courtiers  bade  them  fall  down  before  the  mon- 
arch, and  do  homage  to  him,  as  they  saw  the  others  do. 
But  the  proud  young  men  refused  to  do  so,  saying 
that  such  honor  could  be  shown  only  to  their  gods,  and 
that  it  was  not  the  custom  of  their  country  to  humble 
themselves  thus.  Xerxes,  to  the  surprise  of  his  courtiers, 
did  not  at  all  resent  their  refusal  to  fall  down  before 
him,  but  kindly  bade  them  make  their  errand  known. 

Thus  invited  to  speak,  one  of  them  replied,  "  King 
of  Persia,  some  years  ago  our  people  killed  two  of  your 
father's  messengers.  It  was  wrong  to  touch  an  ambas- 
sador, we  know.  You  are  about  to  visit  our  country  to 
seek  revenge  for  this  crime.  Desist,  O  king!  for  we 
have  come  hither,  my  friend  and  I,  to  offer  our  lives 
in  exchange  for  those  our  people  have  taken.  Here  we 
are  !     Do  with  us  as  you  will." 

Xerxes  was  filled  with  admiration  when  he  heard 
this    speech,    and    saw    the    handsome    youths    standing 


121 


quietly  before  him,  ready  to  die  to  atone  for  their  coun- 
try's wrong.  Instead  of  accepting  their  offer,  he  loaded 
them  with  rich  gifts,  and  sent  them  home  unharmed, 
telling  them  he  would  not  injure  the  innocent,  for  he 
was  more  just  than  the  Lac-e-dae-mo'ni-ans. 

But  a  few  months  later,  when  his  preparations  were 
complete,  Xerxes  set  out  with  an  army  which  is  said 
to  have  numbered  more  than  two  million  fighting  men. 
As  they  were  attended  by  slaves  and  servants  of  all 
kinds,  some  of  the  old  historians  say  that  ten  millions 
of  human  beings  were  included  in  this  mighty  host. 


>X*".c 


XLVIII.     THE   GREAT   ARMY. 

XERXES'  army  marched  in  various  sections  across 
Asia  Minor,  and  all  the  forces  came  together  at 
the  Hellespont.  Here  the  king  had  ordered  the  build- 
ing of  two  great  bridges,  —  one  for  the  troops,  and  the 
other  for  the  immense  train  of  baggage  which  followed 
him. 

These  bridges  were  no  sooner  finished  than  a  rising 
storm  entirely  destroyed  them.  When  Xerxes  heard 
of  the  disaster,  he  not  only  condemned  the  unlucky 
engineers  to  death,  but  also  had  the  waves  flogged  with 
whips,  and  ordered  chains  flung  across  the  strait,  to 
show  that  he  considered  the  sea  an  unruly  slave,  who 
should  be  taught  to  obey  his  master. 

Then,  undaunted  by  his  misfortune,  the  King  of 
Persia  gave  orders  for  the  building  of  new  bridges;  and 


122 


when  they  were  finished,  he  reviewed  his  army  from  the 
top  of  a  neighboring  mountain. 

The  sight  must  have  been  grand  indeed,  and  the  cour- 
tiers standing  around  were  greatly  surprised  when  they 
saw  their  master  suddenly  burst  into  tears.  When  asked 
the  cause  of  his  sorrow,  Xerxes  answered,  "See  that 
mighty  host  spread  out  as  far  as  eye  can  reach !  I 
weep  at  the  thought  that  a  hundred  years  hence  there 
will  be  nothing  left  of  it  except,  perhaps,  a  handful  of 
dust  and  a  few  moldering  bones !  " 

The  king  was  soon  comforted,  however,  and  crossed 
the  bridge  first,  attended  by  his  bodyguard  of  picked 
soldiers,  who  were  called  the  Immortals  because  they 
had  never  suffered  defeat.  All  the  army  followed  him, 
and  during  seven  days  and  nights  the  bridge  resounded 
with  the  steady  tramp  of  the  armed  host ;  but,  even 
when  the  rear  guard  had  passed  over  the  Hellespont, 
there  were  still  so  many  slaves  and  baggage  wagons, 
that  it  took  them  a  whole  month  to  file  past. 

That  was  a  procession  such  as  has  never  again  been 
seen.  You  can  imagine  what  a  sight  it  was  for  all  the 
boys  and  girls  who  lived  near  enough  to  the  Helles- 
pont to  see  this  mighty  parade,  which  continued  night 
and  day. 

They  saw  not  only  the  sacred  chariot  drawn  by  eight 
white  horses,  the  glittering  array  of  the  Immortals,  the 
burnished  helmets  and  arms  of  the  foot  soldiers,  and 
the  silken  canopies  and  tents  over  the  grandees,  but 
also  countless  chariots  drawn  by  four  horses,  and  pro- 
vided on  either  side  with  sharp  scythes,  which  were 
intended  to  mow  down  the  enemy  like  ripe  grain. 


124 

Besides  these  strange  mowing  machines,  there  were 
many  other  engines  of  war,  which  were  all  made  to 
strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  Greeks,  and  to  sub- 
due completely  the  proud  people  who  had  so  sorely 
defeated  Darius'  troops  at  Marathon. 

To  prevent  his  fleet  from  being  wrecked  as  his  father's 
was,  Xerxes  had  given  orders  to  dig  a  great  canal  across 
the  isthmus  that  connected  Mount  Athos  with  the  main- 
land ;  and  through  this  the  vessels  sailed  past  the  prom- 
ontory in  safety, 

XLIX.     PREPARATIONS    FOR    DEFENSE. 

THE  news  of  Xerxes'  crossing  of  the  Hellespont,  and 
of  his  approach  to  conquer  Greece,  soon  reached 
Athens,  where  it  filled  all  hearts  with  fear.  The  people 
then  remembered  Miltiades,  and  bitterly  regretted  his 
death,  and  their  ingratitude,  which  had  been  its  real 
cause. 

As  the  mighty  general  who  had  already  once  delivered 
them  was  dead,  they  tried  to  think  who  could  best  re- 
place him,  and  decided  to  recall  Aristides  the  Just  from 
his  undeserved  exile.  Aristides  generously  forgave  his 
fellow-citizens  for  all  the  harm  they  had  done  him,  and 
he  and  Themistocles  began  to  do  all  in  their  power  to 
insure  the  safety  of  Athens. 

Swift  runners  were  dispatched  in  every  direction  with 
messages  urging  all  the  Greek  cities  to  unite  for  the 
good    of    the   country   by   sending   as  many    brave    men 


125 

as  possible  to  check  the  Persian  army,  and  to  try  to 
hinder   it   from   really  entering  Greece. 

Themistocles  was  the  most  active  in  this  attempt 
to  induce  the  Greek  cities  to  join  forces,  and  it  was 
he  who  planned  a  great  council,  or  meeting,  at  Corinth, 
in  481  B.C.  There  it  soon  became  evident  that  the 
cities  were  too  jealous  of  each  other  to  unite  as  they 
should. 

Many  of  them  promised  help,  which  they  never  sent; 
others  vowed  they  would  neither  send  troops  nor  furnish 
aid  of  any  kind,  unless  their  generals  had  supreme  com- 
mand ;  and  even  the  oracles  gave  vague  and  discouraging 
answers,  when  consulted  as  usual. 

In  spite  of  all  these  drawbacks,  Themistocles  managed 
to  get  a  few  allies ;  and,  in  order  to  induce  the  Spartans 
to  lend  their  aid,  he  promised  them  the  command  not 
only  of  the  army,  but  also  of  the  fleet. 

He  next  persuaded  them  that  it  would  be  wisest  to 
send  an  armed  force  into  Thessaly,  so  as  to  defend  the 
narrow  pass  of  Thermopylae,  which  was  the  only  road  by 
which  the  Persians  could  enter  Greece.  This  natural 
causeway,  as  we  have  seen,  lay  between  the  mountains 
and  the  sea;  and,  because  there  were  springs  of  warm 
water  here,  it  was  generally  known  as  Thermopylae, 
which  is  the  Greek  for  "  Hot  Gateway." 

Under  the  guidance  of  Le-on'i-das,  one  of  the  Spartan 
kings,  three  hundred  Lacedaemonian  soldiers  and  six 
thousand  allies  marched  thither,  and  undertook  to  guard 
the  pass.  This  was  a  very  small  army ;  but  it  was  im- 
possible to  get  more  soldiers  at  the  time,  as  all  the 
Greeks  were  more  anxious  to  attend  the  Olympic  games, 


126 


which  were  just  then  being  celebrated,  than  to  defend 
their  country  and  homes. 

Many  of  them  said  they  were  afraid  the  gods  would 
be  angry  if  they  did  not  keep  the  feast  as  usual,  and 
declared  that  it  was  against  the  law  to  bear  arms  or 
make  war  during  that  time.  This  was  perfectly  true ; 
but  Xerxes  did  not  care  at  all  for  the  Greek  gods,  and 
the  country  would  have  been  defenseless  had  it  not  been 
for  Leonidas  and  his  handful  of  men. 

While  this  little  army  traveled  northwards,  the  rest  of 
the  people  thronged  to  Olympia,  promising  to  come  and 
fight  as  soon  as  the  games  were  ended,  and  they  could 
again  bear  arms  without  offending  the  gods. 

The  Persian  fleet,  as  you  have  seen,  had  passed  behind 
Mount  Athos,  instead  of  rounding  it  as  before,  and  Xerxes 
intended  landing  part  of  his  army  just  below  Thermopy- 
lae. Unfortunately  for  him,  however,  the  four  hundred 
vessels  bearing  his  troops  were  wrecked  by  a  sudden 
storm. 

Another  fleet  was  immediately  prepared ;  but,  before  it 
was  ready,  the  Olympic  games  came  to  an  end,  and  the 
Greeks,  flying  to  arms  as  they  had  promised,  hastily 
embarked  upon  their  own  vessels,  and  came  and  took 
up  their  position  at  Ar-te-mis'ium,  to  hinder  the  ad- 
vance of  the  Persian  fleet. 


127 


L.     LEONIDAS   AT   THERMOPYLAE. 

THE  Persian  army  had  come  to  the  Pass  of  Ther- 
mopylae; and  Xerxes,  seeing  that  it  was  guarded  by 
only  a  few  men,  sent  them  a  haughty  message,  bidding 
them  surrender  their  arms. 

Instead  of  seeing  a  meek  compliance  with  this  request, 
as  they  expected,  the  Persian  heralds  were  amazed  to  hear 
Leonidas  reply  with  true  laconic  brevity,  "  Come  and  take 
them !  " 

The  Spartan  king,  however,  had  quickly  seen  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  him  to  do  much  more  than  stop 
for  a  while  the  advance  of  this  mighty  host.  As  a  Spar- 
tan never  drew  back,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  die  on  the 
field  of  battle,  and  bade  his  warriors  comb  their  hair, 
don  their  choicest  armor,  and  dress  themselves  in  their 
richest  attire,  as  was  the  custom  when  some  great  danger 
threatened  them  and  they  expected   to  die. 

The  Persians,  seeing  this,  were  greatly  surprised,  and 
advanced  confidently,  for  they  fancied  that  men  who  took 
so  much  trouble  to  curl  and  perfume  their  hair  would  not 
be  hard  to  conquer.     They  soon  found  out  their  mistake. 

As  they  advanced,  the  archers  shot  a  volley  of  arrows, 
and  in  such  numbers  that  they  fairly  darkened  the  sun. 
One  of  the  allies,  seeing  this,  ran  to  warn  Leonidas ;  but 
he  received  the  startling  news  with  great  coolness,  and 
merely  said,  "  Very  well ;  then  we  can  fight  in  the 
shade." 

When  Xerxes  saw  that  the  Greeks  would  not  yield 
without  striking  a  blow,  he  gave  orders  for  the  battle  to 


128 


begin.  The  Persians  pressed  forward,  under  the  eye  of 
their  king,  who  sat  high  up  on  the  rocks  to  see  them 
conquer ;  but,  to  his  surprise,  they  were  driven  back 
by  that  mere  handful  of  men. 

Again  and  again  they  tried  to  force  the  pass,  but  all 
their  attempts  proved  vain.  The  Persian  soldiers,  amazed 
at  the  courage  of  the  Greeks,  were  filled  with  supersti- 
tious fears,  and  began  to  refuse  to  advance,  except  when 
driven  onward  under  the  stinging  blows  of  the  lash. 

The  king  was  furious  to  see  their  close  ranks  give  way 
time  after  time,  and  finally  ordered  his  own  Immortals 
to  march  on  and  scatter  the  army,  which,  although  so 
small,  was  keeping  millions  of  men  at  bay.  He  ex- 
pected that  everything  would  of  course  give  way  at  the 
very  first  charge  of  these  troops. 

Imagine  his  wrath,  therefore,  when  he  saw  the  Immor- 
tals also  retreat,  after  many  useless  efforts  to  drive  away 
the  enemy.  The  Persians  did  not  know  what  to  do. 
They  could  not  advance,  and  were  ashamed  to  retreat. 


&Xc 


LI.     DEATH   OF   LEONIDAS. 

WHILE  the  Persians  were  hesitating  thus,  a  Greek 
shepherd,  Eph-i-al'tes,  stole  into  their  camp,  and, 
vile  traitor  that  he  was,  offered  to  show  them  another 
way  to  get  into  Greece,  if  they  would  pay  him  well. 
This  man  was  led  into  the  tent  of  a  Persian  general, 
where  he  explained  that  he  could  easily  lead  a  troop  of 
Persians  over  the  mountains. 


129 


By  a  goat  path  known  to  the  Greeks  only,  it  was  pos- 
sible not  only  to  cross  the  mountains,  but  also  to  come 
down  upon  the  small  Greek  force  guarding  the  Fass  of 
Thermopylae. 

His  offer  as  guide  was  accepted.     Ephialtes,  true  to 
his  promise,  if  not  to  his  country,  led  the   Persian   Im- 
mortals along  this  narrow  way. 
Leonidas,    who    could 
imagine  that  any  one 
the    Greeks    would    be 
base    enough    to    sell 
his  country  and  honor 
for  gold,  had   placed 
only    a    few    of    the 
allies  at  this  spot. 

The  Immortals  fol- 
lowed Ephialtes,   ea- 
sily   cut    these    few 
men  down,  and  came 
unperceived    behind 
the   Spartan   troops. 
It  was  only  when  he 
heard     the     tramp     of 
horses    behind    him    and 
on    the    mountain    above 
him,  that  Leonidas  found  out  that  he  had  been  betrayed. 

Hastily  calling  his  allies,  he  gave  them  permission  to 
save  themselves  by  flight,  declaring,  however,  that  he 
and  his  companions  would  never  leave  their  post,  and 
that,  since  they  could  not  conquer,  they  were  ready  to 
die. 


A  Fighting  Persian. 


STO.  OF  GR. 


130 

Some  of  the  allies  took  advantage  of  this  permission 
to  escape,  but  seven  hundred  Thes'pi-ans  nobly  chose 
to  remain  with  the  Spartans.  With  the  courage  of 
despair,  these  men  now  fought  against  the  Persians 
before  and  behind  them,  selling  their  lives  as  dearly  as 
possible.  In  spite  of  the  odds  against  them,  they  re- 
fused to  surrender,  and  finally  fell,  one  after  another, 
on  the  spot  which  they  had  undertaken  to  guard. 

Their  bodies,  which  were  found  almost  in  a  heap,  —  for 
they  had  scorned  to  fly,  —  were  honorably  buried  in  a 
single  mound,  over  which  rose  a  monument  with  this 
modest  inscription, — 

"Go,  passer-by,  at  Sparta  tell, 
Obedient  to  her  law  we  fell." 

The  Persians  had  forced  their  way  into  Greece.  Noth- 
ing could  check  their  further  advance,  so  the  mighty 
army  swept  southward.  The  first  place  of  note  on 
their  way  to  Athens  was  Delphi,  the  site  of  the  sacred 
temple,  where  great  treasures  were  stored. 

The  Greeks  knew  that  the  Persians  did  not  worship 
the  same  gods,  and  feared  that  they  might  rob  the 
temple :  so  they  now  eagerly  questioned  the  oracle,  to 
find  out  whether  they  should  not  all  assemble  there  in 
its  defense.  / 

To  their  surprise,  the  oracle  proudly  replied,  "The 
gods  will  take  care  of  their  own,"  and  bade  them  rather 
use  their  strength  to  defend  their  own  homes. 

The  Persians  marched  into  the  rocky  gorge  leading 
to  the  temple  at  Delphi,  but  just  as  they  were  entering 
the   valley    a    terrible    thunderstorm    broke    forth.      The 


I3i 

darkness  became  so  great  that  the  soldiers  lost  their 
way.  The  rocks  rolled  and  crashed  down  upon  them ; 
and  the  soldiers,  filled  with  dread,  beat  a  hasty  retreat, 
and  never  again  dared  venture  into  this  valley. 

In  the  mean  while  the  Greek  fleet  at  Artemisium  had 
held  the  Persian  vessels  at  bay,  until  news  was  brought 
of  the  death  of  Leonidas,  and  the  passage  of  Ther- 
mopylae. Then  the  Greeks  sailed  as  fast  as  they  could 
toward  Athens,  knowing  that  they  would  be  needed 
there  to  defend  the  city. 

The  various  allies,  sure  that  it  would  be  quite  useless 
to  try  to  defend  the  northern  part  of  Greece  any 
longer,  retreated  into  the  Peloponnesus,  and,  hoping  to 
prevent  the  Persians  from  entering  there,  hastily  began 
to  build  a  huge  wall  all  across  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth, 
which  is  only  about  five  miles  wide. 


^< 


LII.     THE   BURNING   OF   ATHENS. 

AS  all  their  allies  were  trying  only  to  defend  the  Pelo- 
ponnesus, the  Athenians  were  left  entirely  alone. 
Many  of  their  friends  advised  them  to  abandon  their 
city,  and  follow  the  other  Greeks  southward,  leaving  all 
Attica  a  prey  to  the  foe. 

This  the  Athenians  did  not  wish  to  do,  so  they  sent  in 
haste  to  Delphi,  to  inquire  of  the  oracle  whether  they 
had  better  retreat,  or  attempt  to  defend  their  city.  As 
was  generally  the  case,  the  oracle  did  not   give  a  plain 


132 

answer,  but  merely  said,  "The  wooden  walls  will  defend 
you  and  your  children." 

When  this  answer  was  brought  to  Athens,  no  one  could 
tell  exactly  what  it  meant.  Some  of  the  citizens  fancied 
that  the  oracle  was  advising  them  to  retreat  behind  the 
ancient  wooden  stockade  on  the  Acropolis,  but  Themis- 
tocles  insisted  that  by  "  wooden  walls  "  the  oracle  meant 
their  ships. 

He  finally  persuaded  the  Athenians  to  believe  him.  All 
the  old  men,  women,  and  children  were  hastily  brought  on 
board  the  ships,  and  carried  to  the  Peloponnesus,  where 
they  were  welcomed  by  their  friends.  Then  the  men  em- 
barked in  their  turn,  and  the  fleet  sailed  off  to  the  Bay  of 
Sal'a-mis,  where  it  awaited  a  good  chance  to  fight. 

The  Persians  swept  down  into  Attica,  and  entered  the 
deserted  city  of  Athens.  Here  they  gazed  in  wonder  at 
all  they  saw,  and,  after  robbing  the  houses,  set  fire  to  the 
town,  and  burned  down  all  the  most  beautiful  buildings. 

The  Persians  were  so  delighted  at  having  attained  their 
purpose,  and  reduced  the  proud  city  to  ashes,  that  they 
sent  messengers  to  bear  the  glad  tidings  to  the  Persian 
capital.  Here  the  people  became  almost  wild  with  joy, 
and.  the  whole  city  rang  with  their  cries  of  triumph  for 
many  a  day. 

As  you  will  remember,  Themistocles  had  allowed  the 
Spartans  to  command  both  the  army  and  the  navy.  It 
was  therefore  a  Spartan  king,  Eu-ry-bi'a-des,  who  was 
head  of  the  fleet  at  Salamis.  He  was  a  careful  man,  and 
was  not  at  all  in  favor  of  attacking  the  Persians. 

Themistocles,  on  the  contrary,  felt  sure  that  an  imme- 
diate   attack,  being  unexpected,  would   prove  successful, 


133 

and  therefore  loudly  insisted  upon  it.  His  persistency  in 
urging  it  finally  made  Eurybiades  so  angry  that  he  ex- 
claimed, "Those  who  begin  the  race  before  the  signal  is 
given  are  publicly  scourged !  " 

Themistocles,  however,  would  not  allow  even  this  re- 
mark to  annoy  him,  and  calmly  answered,  "Very  true, 
but  laggards  never  win  a  crown ! "  The  reply,  which 
Eurybiades  thought  was  meant  for  an  insult,  so  enraged 
him  that  he  raised  his  staff  to  strike  the  bold  speaker.  At 
this,  the  brave  Athenian  neither  drew  back  nor  flew  into  a 
passion  :  he  only  cried,  "  Strike  if  you  will,  but  hear  me  !  " 

Once  more  Themistocles  explained  his  reasons  for 
urging  an  immediate  attack ;  and  his  plans  were  so  good, 
that  Eurybiades,  who  could  but  admire  his  courage,  finally 
yielded,  and  gave  orders  to  prepare  for  battle. 


>>*<< 


LIII.     THE   BATTLES   OF   SALAMIS   AND 
PLAT^A. 

THE  fleets  soon  came  face  to  face;  and  Xerxes  took 
up  his  post  on  a  mountain,  where  he  sat  in  state 
upon  a  hastily  built  throne  to  see  his  vessels  destroy  the 
enemy.  He  had  made  very  clever  plans,  and,  as  his  fleet 
was  far  larger  than  that  of  the  Greeks,  he  had  no  doubt 
that  he  would  succeed  in  defeating  them. 

His  plans,  however,  had  been  found  out  by  Aristides, 
who  was  in  the  Island  of  ALg'ma ;  and  this  noble  man 
rowed  over  to  the  fleet,  at  the  risk  of  being  caught  by  the 
enemy,  to  warn  his  fellow-citizens  of  their  danger. 


134 

He  first  spoke  to  Themistocles,  saying,  "  Rivals  we 
have  always  been;  let  us  now  set  all  other  rivalry  aside, 
and  only  strive  which  can  best  serve  his  native  country." 

Themistocles  agreed  to  this  proposal,  and  managed 
affairs  so  wisely  and  bravely  that  the  Greeks  won  a  great 
victory.  When  they  came  home  in  triumph  with  much 
spoil,  the  women  received  them  with  cries  of  joy,  and 
strewed  flowers  under  their  feet. 

From  his  high  position,  Xerxes  saw  his  fleet  cut  to 
pieces ;  and  he  was  so  discouraged  by  this  check,  that 
he  hastened  back  to  Persia,  leaving  his  brother-in-law 
Mar-do'ni-us  with  an  army  of  three  hundred  thousand 
men  to  finish  the  conquest  of  Greece. 

The  Greeks  were  so  happy  over  their  naval  victory 
at  Salamis,  that  they  all  flew  to  arms  once  more ;  and 
Pau-sa'ni-as,  the  Spartan  king,  the  successor  of  Leonidas, 
was  soon  able  to  lead  a  large  army  against    Mardonius. 

The  two  forces  met  at  Pla-tae'a,  and  again  the  Greeks 
won,  although  fighting  against  foes  who  greatly  out- 
numbered them.  Strange  to  relate,  while  Pausanias  was 
winning  one  battle  at  Plataea,  the  other  Spartan  king, 
Eurybiades,  defeated  a  new  Persian  fleet  at  Myc'a-le. 

These  two  victories  finished  the  rout  of  the  greatest 
army  ever  seen.  Mardonius  fled  with  the  remnant  of 
his  host,  leaving  his  tents,  baggage,  and  slaves  to  the 
Greeks,  who  thus  got  much  booty. 

We  are  told  that  the  Spartans,  entering  the  Persian 
camp,  were  greatly  amazed  at  the  luxury  of  the  tents. 
Pausanias  stopped  in  the  one  that  had  been  occupied  by 
Mardonius,  and  bade  the  slaves  prepare  a  meal  such  as 
they  had  been  wont  to  lay  before  their  master. 


136 

Then,  calling  his  own  Helots,  he  gave  orders  for  his 
usual  supper.  When  both  meals  were  ready,  they  made 
the  greatest  contrast.  The  Persian  tent  was  all  decked 
with  costly  hangings,  the  table  was  spread  with  many 
kinds  of  rich  food  served  in  dishes  of  solid  gold,  and 
soft  couches  were  spread  for  the  guests. 

The  Spartan  supper,  on  the  contrary,  was  of  the  plain- 
est description,  and  was  served  in  ordinary  earthenware. 
Pausanias  called  his  officers  and  men,  and,  after  pointing 
out  the  difference  between  the  Spartan  and  the  Persian 
style  of  living,  he  showed  how  much  he  liked  plain  food 
by  eating  his  usual  supper. 

To  reward  Pausanias  for  his  bravery  and  for  defeat- 
ing the  enemy,  the  Greeks  gave  him  a  part  of  all  that 
was  best  in  the  spoil.  Next  they  set  aside  one  tenth 
of  it  for  Apollo,  and  sent  it  to  his  priests  at  Delphi  as 
a  token  of  gratitude  for  the  favor  of  the  god. 

To  show  that  they  were  grateful  also  to  Zeus  and 
Poseidon,  —  the  gods  who,  they  thought,  had  helped 
them  to  win  their  battles  by  land  and  by  sea,  —  they 
sent  statues  to  Olympia  and  Corinth ;  and  they  erected 
a  temple  in  honor  of  Athene,  the  goddess  of  defensive 
war,  on  the  battlefield  of  Plataea. 


>XKc 


LIV.     THE   REBUILDING   OF   ATHENS. 

THE    Persians   had   been    driven    out   of   Greece,   and 
the   war    with   them   was   now   carried   on    in    Asia 
Minor  instead  of  nearer   home.      The   Greek   army  won 


137 

many  battles  here  also,  and  even  managed  to  free  the 
city  of  Miletus  from  the  Persian  yoke. 

These  triumphs  encouraged  all  the  Ionian  cities,  and 
they  soon  formed  a  league  with  the  other  Greeks,  prom- 
ising to  help  them  against  the  Persians  should  the  war 
ever  be  renewed.  As  soon  as  this  alliance  was  made, 
the  Greek  fleet  returned  home,  bringing  back  to  Athens 
as  a  trophy  the  chains  with  which  Xerxes  had  pretended 
to  bind  the  rebellious  sea. 

In  the  mean  while  the  Athenians,  who  had  taken  ref- 
uge on  the  Peloponnesus,  had  returned  to  their  native 
city,  where,  alas!  they  found  their  houses  and  temples  in 
ruins.  The  desolation  was  great;  yet  the  people  were 
so  thankful  to  return,  that  they  prepared  to  rebuild  the 
town. 

They  were  greatly  encouraged  in  this  purpose  by  an 
event  which  seemed  to  them  a  good  omen.  Near  the 
temple  of  the  patron  goddess  of  Athens  stood  a  sacred 
olive  tree,  supposed  to  have  been  created  by  her  at  the 
time  when  the  city  received  her  name. 

This  place  had  been  burned  by  the  invaders,  and  the 
returning  Athenians  sorrowfully  gazed  upon  the  black- 
ened trunk  of  the  sacred  tree.  Imagine  their  delight, 
therefore,  when  a  new  shoot  suddenly  sprang  up  from 
the  ashes,  and  put  forth  leaves  with  marvelous  speed. 

The  people  all  cried  that  the  goddess  had  sent  them 
this  sign  of  her  continued  favor  to  encourage  them  to 
rebuild  the  city,  and  they  worked  with  such  energy  that 
they  were  soon  provided  with  new  homes. 

As  soon  as  the  Athenians  had  secured  shelter  for 
their   families,    they  began   to   restore   the    mighty  walls 


■38 

which  had  been  the  pride  of  their  city.  When  the  Spar- 
tans heard  of  this,  they  jealously  objected,  for  they 
were  afraid  that  Athens  would  become  more  powerful 
than  Sparta. 

Of  course,  they  did  not  want  to  own  that  they  were 
influenced  by  so  mean  a  feeling  as  jealousy,  so  they 
tried  to  find  a  pretext  to  hinder  the  work.  This  was 
soon  found,  and  Spartan  messengers  came  and  told  the 
Athenians  that  they  should  not  fortify  the  town,  lest  it 
should  fall  again  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and 
serve  them  as  a  stronghold. 

Themistocles  suspected  the  real  cause  of  these  objec- 
tions, and  made  up  his  mind  to  use  all  his  talents  to 
help  his  fellow-citizens.  He  therefore  secretly  assembled 
the  most  able  men,  and  told  them  to  go  on  with  the 
work  as  fast  as  possible,  while  he  went  to  Sparta  to 
talk  over  the  matter  with  the  Lacedaemonians. 

When  he  arrived  at  Sparta,  he  artfully  prolonged  the 
discussions  until  the  walls  were  built  high  enough  to  be 
defended.  Of  course,  there  was  now  nothing  to  be  done ; 
but  the  Spartans  were  very  angry,  and  waited  anxiously 
for  an  opportunity  to  punish  the  Athenians.  This  came 
after  a  time,  as  you  will  see  in  the  following  chapters. 


>>»<c 


LV.     DEATH    OF   PAUSANIAS. 

PAUSANIAS,  the    Spartan    king,  was   very  proud   of 
the  great  victory  he  had  won  over  the  Persians  at 
Plataea,  and   of   the   praise   and   booty  he   had  received. 


139 

He  was  so  proud  of  it,  that  he  soon  became  unbearable, 
and  even  wanted  to  become  ruler  of  all  Greece. 

Although  he  had  at  first  pretended  to  despise  the 
luxury  which  he  had  seen  in  the  tent  of  Mardonius,  he 
soon  began  to  put  on  the  Persian  dress  and  to  copy 
their  manners,  and  demanded  much  homage  from  his 
subjects.  This  greatly  displeased  the  simple  Greeks,  and 
he  soon  saw  that  they  would  not  help  him  to  become 
sole  king. 

In  his  ambition  to  rule  alone,  he  entirely  forgot  all 
that  was  right,  and,  turning  traitor,  secretly  offered  to 
help  the  Persians  if  they  would  promise  to  make  him 
king  over  all  Greece. 

This  base  plot  was  found  out  by  the  ephors,  the  offi- 
cers whose  duty  it  was  to  watch  the  kings,  and  they 
ordered  his  own  guards  to  seize  him.  Before  this  order 
could  be  carried  out,  however,  Pausanias  fled,  and  took 
refuge  in  a  neighboring  temple,  where,  of  course,  no  one 
could  lay  violent  hands  upon  him. 

As  the  ephors  feared  he  might  even  yet  escape  to 
Persia,  and  carry  out  his  wicked  plans,  they  ordered  that 
the  doors  and  windows  of  the  temple  should  all  be 
walled  up. 

It  is  said  that  as  soon  as  this  command  had  been 
given,  Pausanias'  mother  brought  the  first  stone,  saying 
she  preferred  that  her  son  should  die,  rather  than  live 
to  be  a  traitor. 

Thus  walled  in,  Pausanias  slowly  starved  to  death, 
and  the  barriers  were  torn  down  only  just  in  time  to 
allow  him  to  be  carried  out,  and  breathe  his  last  in 
the    open    air.      The    Spartans   would    not   let    him    die 


140 

in  the  temple,  because  they  thought  his  dying  breath 
would  offend  the  gods. 

As  Themistocles  had  been  a  great  friend  of  Pausa- 
nias,  he  was  accused  of  sharing  his  plans.  The  Athe- 
nians therefore  rose  up  against  him  in  anger,  ostracized 
him,  and  drove  him  out  of  the  country  to  end  his  life  in 
exile. 

After  wandering  aimlessly  about  for  some  time,  The- 
mistocles finally  went  to  the  court  of  Ar-tax-erx'es,  the 
son  and  successor  of  Xerxes. 

The  Persian  monarch,  we  are  told,  welcomed  him 
warmly,  gave  him  a  Persian  wife,  and  set  aside  three 
cities  to  supply  him  with  bread,  meat,  and  wine.  The- 
mistocles soon  grew  very  rich,  and  lived  on  the  fat  of 
the  land ;  and  a  traveler  said  that  he  once  exclaimed, 
"  How  much  we  should  have  lost,  my  children  and  I, 
had  we  not  been  ruined  by  the  Athenians  !  " 

Artaxerxes,  having  thus  provided  for  all  Themistocles' 
wants,  and  helped  him  to  pile  up  riches,  fancied  that 
his  gratitude  would  lead  him  to  perform  any  service  the 
king  might  ask.  He  therefore  sent  for  Themistocles 
one  day,  and  bade  him  lead  a  Persian  army  against  the 
Greeks. 

But,  although  Themistocles  had  been  exiled  from  his 
country,  he  had  not  fallen  low  enough  to  turn  traitor. 
He  proudly  refused  to  fight;  and  it  is  said  that  he  pre- 
ferred to  commit  suicide,  rather  than  injure  the  people 
he  had  once  loved  so  dearly. 


141 


LVI.     CIMON   IMPROVES   ATHENS. 

AS  soon  as  Themistocles  had  been  banished  from 
Athens,  Aristides  again  became  the  chief  man 
of  the  city,  and  he  was  also  made  the  head  and  leader 
of  the  allies.  He  was  so  upright  and  just  that  all  were 
ready  to  honor  and  obey  him,  and  they  gladly  let  him 
take  charge  of  the  money  of  the  state. 

In  reward  for  his  services,  the  Athenians  offered  him 
a  large  salary  and  many  rich  gifts ;  but  he  refused  them 
all,  saying  that  he  needed  nothing,  and  could  afford  to 
serve  his  country  without  pay. 

He  therefore  went  on  seeing  to  all  the  public  affairs 
until  his  death,  when  it  was  found  that  he  was  so  poor 
that  there  was  not  enough  money  left  to  pay  for  his 
funeral.  The  Athenians,  touched  by  his  virtues,  gave 
him  a  public  burial,  held  his  name  in  great  honor,  and 
often  regretted  that  they  had  once  been  so  ungrateful 
as  to  banish  their  greatest  citizen,  Aristides  the  Just. 

As  Aristides  had  watched  carefully  over  the  money 
of  the  allied  states,  and  had  ruled  the  Athenians  very 
wisely,  it  is  no  wonder  that  Athens  had  little  by  little 
risen  above  Sparta,  which  had  occupied  the  first  place 
ever  since  the  battle  of  Thermopylae. 

The  Athenians,  as  long  as  Aristides  lived,  showed 
themselves  just  and  liberal;  but  as  soon  as  he  was  dead, 
they  began  to  treat  their  former  allies  unkindly.  The 
money  which  all  the  Greek  states  furnished  was  now  no 
longer  used  to  strengthen  the  army  and  navy,  as  first 
agreed,  but  was  lavishly  spent  to  beautify  the  city. 


142 


Now,  while  it  was  a  good  thing  to  make  their  town 
as  fine  as  possible,  it  was  certainly  wrong  to  use  the 
money  of  others  for  this  purpose,  and  the  Athenians 
were  soon  punished  for  their  dishonesty. 

Cimon,  the  son  of  Miltiades,  was  made  the  head  of 
the  army,  and  won  several  victories  over  the  Persians 
in    Asia    Minor.       When    he    returned    to    Athens,    he 


'V^^f^p^|gf|;^« 


The  Theseum. 


brought  back  a  great  deal  of  spoil,  and  generously  gave 
up  all  his  share  to  improve  the  city  and  strengthen  the 
walls. 

It  is  said  that  Cimon  also  enlarged  the  beautiful  gar- 
dens of  the  A-cad'e-my;  and  the  citizens,  by  wandering 
up  and  down  the  shady  walks,  showed  that  they  liked 
this  as  well  as  the  Lyceum,  which,  you  will  remember, 
Pisistratus  had  given  them. 

They  also  went   in   crowds  to  these  gardens   to   hear 


143 

the  philosophers,  who  taught  in  the  cool  porticoes  or 
stone  piazzas  built  all  around  them,  and  there  they 
learned  many  good,  things. 

Cimon  showed  his  patriotism  in  still  another  way  by 
persuading  the  people  that  the  remains  of  Theseus,  their 
ancient  king,  should  rest  in  the  city.  Theseus'  bones 
were  therefore  brought  from  Scyros,  the  island  where 
he  had  been  killed  so  treacherously,  and  were  buried 
near  the  center  of  Athens,  where  the  resting-place  of  this 
great  man  was  marked  by  a  temple  called  the  The-se'um. 
A  building  of  this  name  is  still  standing  in  the  city ;  and, 
although  somewhat  damaged,  it  is  now  used  as  a  museum, 
and  contains  a  fine  statue  of  Theseus. 


:>**:< 


LVII.     THE    EARTHQUAKE. 

CIMON,  as  you  have  already  seen,  was  very  wealthy, 
and  as  generous  as  he  was  rich.  Besides  spending 
so  much  for  the  improvement  of  the  city,  he  always  kept 
an  open  house.  His  table  was  bountifully  spread,  and  he 
gladly  received  as  guests  all  who  chose  to  walk  into  his 
home. 

Whenever  he  went  out,  he  was  followed  by  servants 
who  carried  full  purses,  and  whose  duty  it  was  to  help  all 
the  poor  they  met.  As  Cimon  knew  that  many  of  the 
most  deserving  poor  would  have  been  ashamed  to  receive 
alms,  these  men  found  out  their  wants,  and  supplied  them 
secretly. 

Now,  although  Cimon  was  so  good  and  thoughtful,  you 


144 

must  not  imagine  that  it  was  always  very  easy  for  him  to 
be  so.  It  seems  that  when  he  was  a  young  man  he  was 
very  idle  and  lazy,  and  never  thought  of  anything  but  his 
own  pleasure. 

Aristides  the  Just  noticed  how  lazy  and  selfish  the 
young  man  was,  and  one  day  went  to  see  him.  After  a 
little  talk,  Aristides  told  him  seriously  that  he  ought  to 
be  ashamed  of  the  life  he  was  living,  as  it  was  quite 
unworthy  of  a  good  citizen  or  of  a  noble  man. 

This  reproof  was  so  just,  that  Cimon  promised  to  do 
better,  and  tried  so  hard  that  he  soon  became  one  of  the 
most  industrious  and  unselfish  men  of  his  day. 

Cimon  was  not  the  only  rich  man  in  Athens,  however ; 
for  Per'i-cles,  another  citizen,  was  even  wealthier  than  he. 
As  Pericles  was  shrewd,  learned,  and  very  eloquent,  he 
soon  gained  much  influence  over  his  fellow-citizens. 

While  Cimon  was  generally  seen  in  the  company  of 
men  of  his  own  class,  and  was  hence  considered  the  leader 
of  the  nobles  or  aristocrats,  Pericles  liked  to  talk  with  the 
poorer  class,  whom  he  could  easily  sway  by  his  eloquent 
speeches,  and  who  soon  made  him  their  idol. 

Day  by  day  the  two  parties  became  more  distinct,  and 
soon  the  Athenians  sided  either  with  Pericles  or  with 
Cimon  in  all  important  matters.  The  two  leaders  were 
at  first  very  good  friends,  but  little  by  little  they  drifted 
apart,  and  finally  they  became  rivals. 

About  this  time  an  earthquake  brought  great  misfor- 
tunes upon  Greece.  The  whole  country  shook  and 
swayed,  and  the  effects  of  the  earthquake  were  so  dis- 
astrous at  Sparta  that  all  the  houses  and  temples  were 
destroyed. 


145 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  were  crushed  under  the  falling 
stones  and  timbers,  and  there  were  only  five  houses  left 
standing.  The  Spartans  were  in  despair;  and  the  Helots, 
or  slaves,  who  had  long  been  waiting  for  an  opportunity 
to  free  themselves,  fancied  that  the  right  time  had  come. 

They  quickly  assembled,  and  decided  to  kill  the  Spar- 
tans while  they  were  groping  about  among  the  ruined 
dwellings  for  the  remains  of  their  relatives  and  friends. 

The  plan  would  have  succeeded  had  not  the  king, 
Ar-chi-da'mus,  found  it  out.  Without  a  moment's  delay, 
he  rallied  all  the  able-bodied  men,  and  sent  a  swift  mes- 
senger to  Athens  for  aid. 

True  to  their  military  training,  the  Spartans  dropped 
everything  when  the  summons  reached  them ;  and  the 
Helots  came  marching  along,  only  to  find  their  former 
masters  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  and  as  calm  as  if  no 
misfortune  had  happened. 

This  unexpected  resistance  so  frightened  the  Helots, 
that  they  hastily  withdrew  into  Messenia.  Here  they 
easily  persuaded  the  Messenians  to  join  forces  with 
them  and  declare  war  against  the  Spartans. 

In  the  mean  while  the  swift  runner  sent  by  Archida- 
mus  had  reached  Athens,  and  told  about  the  destruction 
of  the  town  and  the  perilous  situation  of  the  people. 
He  ended  by  imploring  the  Athenians  to  send  immedi- 
ate aid,  lest  all  the  Spartans  should  perish. 

Cimon,  who  was  generous  and  kind-hearted,  imme- 
diately cried  out  that  the  Athenians  could  not  refuse  to 
help  their  unhappy  neighbors ;  but  Pericles,  who,  like 
most  of  his  fellow-citizens,  hated  the  Spartans,  advised 
all  his  friends  to  stay  quietly  at  home. 

STO.    OF   GR. IO 


146 

Much  discussion  took  place  over  this  advice.  At 
last,  however,  Cimon  prevailed,  and  an  army  was  sent 
to  help  the  Spartans.  Owing  to  the  hesitation  of 
the  Athenians,  this  army  came  late,  and  they  fought 
with  so  little  spirit  that  the  Lacedaemonians  indig- 
nantly said  that  they  might  just  as  well  have  remained 
at  home. 

This  insult  so  enraged  the  Athenians  that  they  went 
home ;  and  when  it  became  publicly  known  how  the 
Spartans  had  treated  their  army,  the  people  beg;an  to 
murmur  against  Cimon.  In  their  anger,  they  forgot  all 
the  good  he  had  done  them,  and,  assembling  in  the 
market  place,  they  ostracized  him. 


>**< 


LVIII.     THE   AGE   OF    PERICLES. 

AS  soon  as  Cimon  had  been  banished,  Pericles  became 
sole  leader  of  the  Athenians;  and  as  he  governed 
them  during  a  long  and  prosperous  time,  this  period 
is  generally  known  as  the  Age  of  Pericles. 

The  Spartans  who  had  so  rudely  sent  away  their 
Athenian  allies  manfully  resolved  to  help  themselves, 
and  set  about  it  so  vigorously  that  they  soon  brought 
the  Helots  back  to  order,  and  rebuilt  their  city.  When 
they  had  settled  themselves  comfortably,  however,  they 
remembered  the  lukewarm  help  which  had  been  given 
them,  and  determined  to  punish  the  Athenians. 

The  Persian  general  was  just  then  planning  a  new 
invasion  of    Greece,  so  the  Athenians  found   themselves 


147 


threatened  with  a  twofold  danger.  In  their  distress  they 
recalled  Cimon,  who  was  an  excellent  general,  and  im- 
plored him  to  take  command  of  their  forces. 

Cimon    fully   justified   their    confidence,   and    not    only 
won  several  victories  over   the    Spartans,  but   compelled 
them  at  last   to   agree   to    a   truce 
of    five   years.     This    matter    set- 
tled, he  next  attacked   the   Per- 
sians,   whom    he    soon    defeated 
by  land  and  by  sea. 

He  then  forced    Artaxerxes, 
the   Persian  king,   to   swear  a 
solemn    oath    that    he   would 
never  again  wage  war  against 
the    Athenians,    and  forbade 
the   Persian    vessels    ever   to 
enter  the  ^Egean  Sea. 

These  triumphs  won,  Ci- 
mon died  from  the  wounds 
he  had  received  during  the 
war.  His  death,  however, 
was  kept  secret  for  a  whole 

month,  so  that  the  people  would  have  time  to  get  used 
to  a  new  leader,  and  not  be  afraid  to  fight  without  their 
former  general. 

While  Cimon  was  thus  successfully  battling  with  the 
enemy  abroad,  Pericles  had  managed  affairs  at  home. 
He  urged  the  Athenians  to  finish  their  walls ;  and  by  his 
advice  they  built  also  the  Long  Walls,  which  joined  the 
city  to  the  Pi-rae'us,  a  seaport  five  miles  away. 

Pericles  also  increased  the  Athenian  navy,  so  that,  by 


Pericles. 


148 


the  time  the  five-years'   truce   was   over,   he    had  a  fine 
fleet  to  use  in  fighting  against  the  Spartans. 

As  every  victory  won  by  the  Athenians  had  only  made 
Sparta  more  jealous,  the  war  was  renewed,  and  carried 
on  with  great  fury  on  both  sides.  The  Spartans  gained 
the  first  victories ;  but,  owing  to  their  better  navy,  the 
Athenians  soon  won  over  all  the  neighboring  cities,  and 
got  the  upper  hand  of  their  foes. 


The  Acropolis. 

They  were  about  to  end  the  war  by  a  last  victory  at 
Cor-o-ne'a,  when  fortune  suddenly  deserted  them,  and  they 
were  so  sorely  beaten  that  they  were  very  glad  to  agree 
to  a  truce  and  return  home. 

By  the  treaty  then  signed,  the  Athenians  bound  them- 
selves to  keep  the  peace  during  a  term  of  thirty  years. 


149 

In  exchange,  the  Spartans  allowed  them  to  retain  the 
cities  which  they  had  conquered,  and  the  leadership  of 
one  of  the  confederacies  formed  by  the  Greek  states, 
reserving  the  head  of   the  other  for  themselves. 

During  these  thirty  years  of  peace,  Pericles  was  very 
busy,  and  his  efforts  were  directed  for  the  most  part 
toward  the  improvement  of  Athens.  By  his  advice  a 
magnificent  temple,  the  Par'the-non,  was  built  on  top  of 
the  Acropolis,  in  honor  of  Athene. 

This  temple,  one  of  the  wonders  of  the- world,  was 
decorated  with  beautiful  carvings  by  Phidias,  and  all  the 
rich  Athenians  went  to  see  them  as  soon  as  they  were 
finished.  This  sculptor  also  made  a  magnificent  gold  and 
ivory  statue  of  the  goddess,  to  stand  in  the  midst  of  the 
Parthenon.  But  in  spite  of  all  his  talent,  Phidias  had 
many  enemies.  After  a  while  they  wrongfully  accused 
him  of  stealing  part  of  the  gold  intrusted  to  him.  Phidias 
vainly  tried  to  defend  himself ;  but  they  would  not  listen 
to  him,  and  put  him  in  prison,  where  he  died. 

Between  the  temple  of  Athene  and  the  city  there  was 
a  series  of  steps  and  beautiful  porticoes,  decorated  with 
paintings  and  sculptures,  which  have  never  been  sur- 
passed. 

Many  other  beautiful  buildings  were  erected  under  the 
rule  of  Pericles ;  and  the  beauty  and  art  loving  Athenians 
could  soon  boast  that  their  city  was  the  finest  in  the 
world.  Artists  from  all  parts  of  the  country  thronged 
thither  in  search  of  work,  and  all  were  well  received 
by  Pericles. 


i5i 


LIX.     THE   TEACHINGS   OF   ANAXAGORAS. 

AS  Pericles  was  a  very  cultivated  man,  he  liked  to  meet 
and  talk  with  the  philosophers,  and  to  befriend  the 
artists.  He  was  greatly  attached  to  the  sculptor  Phidias, 
and  he  therefore  did  all  in  his  power  to  save  him  from 
the  envy  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

An-ax-ag'o-ras,  a  philosopher  of  great  renown,  was  the 
friend  and  teacher  of  Pericles.  He,  too,  won  the  dislike 
of  the  people ;  and,  as  they  could  not  accuse  him  also 
of  stealing,  they  charged  him  with  publicly  teaching 
that  the  gods  they  worshiped  were  not  true  gods,  and 
proposed  to  put  him  to  death  for  this  crime. 

Now,  Anaxagoras  had  never  heard  of  the  true  God,  the 
God  whom  we  worship.  He  had  heard  only  of  Zeus, 
Athene,  and  the  other  gods  honored  by  his^people ;  but 
he  was  so  wise  and  so  thoughtful  that  he  believed  the 
world  could  never  have  been  created  by  such  divinities 
as  those. 

He  observed  all  he  saw  very  attentively,  and  shocked 
the  people  greatly  by  saving  that  the  sun  was  not  a 
god  driving  in  a  golden  chariot,  but  a  great  glowing 
rock,  which,  in  spite  of  its  seemingly  small  size,  he 
thought  must  be  about  as  large  as  the  Peloponnesus. 

Of  course,  this  seem?  very  strange  to  you.  But  Anax- 
agoras lived  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago,  and  since 
then  people  have  constantly  been  finding  out  new  things 
and  writing  them  in  books,  so  it  is  no  wonder  that  in 
this  matter  you  are  already,  perhaps,  wiser  than  he. 
When  you  come   to   study  about   the   sun,  you  will  find 


152 

that  Anaxagoras  was  partly  right,  but  that,  instead  of 
being  only  as  large  as  the  Peloponnesus,  the  sun  is  more 
than  a  million  times  larger  than  the  whole  earth ! 

Anaxagoras  also  tried  to  explain  that  the  moon  was 
probably  very  much  like  the  earth,  with  mountains, 
plains,  and  seas.  These  things,  which  they  could  not 
understand,  made  the  Athenians  so  angry  that  they 
exiled  the  philosopher,  in  spite  of  all  Pericles  could  say. 

Anaxagoras  went  away  without  making  any  fuss,  and 
withdrew  to  a  distant  city,  where  he  continued  his  studies 
as  before.  Many  people  regretted  his  absence,  and  missed 
his  wise  conversation,  but  none  so  much  as  Pericles, 
who  never  forgot  him,  and  who  gave  him  money  enough 
to  keep  him  in  comfort. 

Another  great  friend  of  Pericles  was  a  woman  called 
As-pa'sia.  She  was  so  bright  that  the  wisest  men  of 
Athens  used  to  go  to  her  house  merely  for  the  pleasure 
of  talking  to  her.  All  the  best-informed  people  in  town 
used  to  assemble  there;  and  Cimon  and. Pericles,  Phidias, 
Anaxagoras,  and  Soc'ra-tes  were  among  her  chosen 
friends. 


*»<c 


LX.     BEGINNING   OF  THE   PELOPONNESIAN 

WAR. 

THE  end  of  Pericles'  long  and  useful  life  was  troubled 
by  a*ri£w  war  between  Athens  and  Sparta;  for,  as 
soon  as  the  thir^-years'  truce  was  ended,  both  cities  flew 
to  arms.    The  war  which  then  began,  and  which  in  history 


153 

is  known  as  the  Peloponnesian  War,  lasted  almost  as  long 
as  the  truce;  that  is  to  say,  for  nearly  thirty  years. 

Pericles  knew  very  well  that  the  Athenians,  not  being 
so  well  trained,  were  no  match  for  the  Spartans  on  land. 
He  therefore  advised  all  the  people  to  come  into  the  city, 
and  take  refuge  behind  the  mighty  walls,  while  the  fleet 
carried  on  the  war  by  sea. 

This  advice  was  followed.  All  the  farmers  left  their 
fields,  and  crowded  into  Athens.  When  the  Spartans 
came  into  Attica,  they  found  the  farms  and  villages  de- 
serted ;  but  from  the  top  of  the  Acropolis  the  people 
could  see  the  enemy  burn  down  their  empty  dwellings  and 
destroy  the  harvests  in  their  fields. 

In  the  mean  while  the  Athenian  fleet  had  sailed  out 
of  the  Piraeus,  and  had  gone  down  into  the  Peloponnesus, 
where  the  troops  landed  from  time  to  time,  striking  ter- 
ror into  the  hearts  of  the  inhabitants,  and  causing  much 
damage. 

The  Spartans  also  had  a  fleet ;  but  it  was  so  much 
smaller  than  that  of  the  Athenians,  that  it  could  not  offer 
any  very  great  resistance.  Still  the  time  came  when  a 
battle  was  to  take  place  between  the  vessels  of  the  two 
cities. 

It  happened  on  a  day  when  there  was  to  be  an 
eclipse  of  the  sun.  Now,  you  know  that  this  is  a  very 
simple  and  natural  thing.  An  eclipse  of  the  sun  is  a 
darkening  of  its  surface,  which  occurs  whenever  the 
moon  passes  between  it  and  the  earth. 

As  the  moon  is  a  very  large  and  solid  body,  we 
cannot  see  either  through  or  around  it,  and  for  a  few 
minutes  while  it  is  directly  between   us  and   the   sun    it 


154 

entirely  hides  the  latter  from  our  sight.  Pericles,  who 
had  so  often  talked  with  Anaxagoras  and  the  other 
learned  men  of  his  day,  knew  what  an  eclipse  was,  and 
had  even  been  told  that  one  would  soon  take  place. 
He  was  therefore  quite  ready  for  it,  warned  his  soldiers 
that  it  was  coming,  and  illustrated  his  meaning  by 
flinging  his  cloak  over  the  head  of  his  pilot. 

"  Can  you  see  the  sun  now  ?  "  he  asked.  —  "  Why,  no ! 
master,  of  course  not !  "  replied  the  man.  "  Your  thick 
cloak  is  between  me  and  the  sun;  how  could  I  see 
through  it?" — "Well,  neither  can  you  see  through  the 
moon,  then,"  replied  Pericles. 

His  men,  thus  warned,  showed  no  fear  of  the  eclipse; 
but  the  Spartans,  who  did  not  trouble  themselves  greatly 
with  learning,  were  terrified.  They  imagined  that  the 
darkening  of  the  sun  at  midday  was  the  sign  of  some 
coming  misfortune,  and  hardly  dared  to  fight  against 
the  Athenians. 

Thanks  to  this  superstitious  fear,  Pericles  laid  waste 
the  fields  of  the  Peloponnesus,  and  came  back  to  Athens 
in  triumph ;  for,  although  much  damage  had  been  done 
to  the  enemy,  the  Athenians  had  lost  only  a  few  men. 
These  were  buried  with  great  honors.  Pericles  himself 
pronounced  their  funeral  oration ;  and  we  are  told  that 
he  was  so  eloquent  that  all  his  hearers  were  melted  to 
tears. 


155 


LXI.     DEATH    OF   PERICLES. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Athenian  fleet  had  caused  much 
damage,  and  had  come  home  victorious,  the_Spartan 
army  was  still  in  Atttea.  The  Spart-a«s  fiEcl  been  awed 
and  frightened  by  the  eeiipse,  but  tfeey-  did  not  give 
up  their  purpose,  and  continued  the  war. 

The  Athenians  remained  within  the  city  walls,  not  dar- 
ing to  venture  out  lest  they  should  meet  with  a  defeat, 
and  they  soon  began  to  suffer  greatly.  As  there  were 
not  enough  water  and  food  for  the  crowded  multitude, 
a  terrible  disease  called  the  plague  soon  attacked  the 
people.  This  sickness  was  contagious,  and  it  spread 
rapidly.  On  all  sides  one  could  see  the  dead  and  dying. 
The  sufferers  were  tormented  by  a  burning  thirst;  and 
as  there  was  soon  no  one  left  to  care  for  the  sick, 
they  painfully  dragged  themselves  to  the  sides  of  the 
fountains,  where  many  of  them  died. 

Not  only  were  the  sick  uncared  for,  but  it  was  also 
nearly  impossible  to  dispose  of  the  dead ;  and  the  bodies 
lay  in  the  streets  day  after  day,  waiting  for  burial. 

When  the  Athenians  were  in  the  greatest  distress, 
Pericles  heard  that  there  was  a  Greek  doctor,  named 
Hip-poc'ra-tes,  who  had  a  cure  for  the  plague;  and 
he  wrote  to  him,  imploring  his  help. 

Hippocrates  received  Pericles'  letter  at  the  same  time 
that  a  message  arrived  from  Artaxerxes,  King  of  Persia. 
The  king  asked  him  to  come  and  save  the  Persians,  who 
were  suffering  from  the  same  disease,  and  offered  the 
doctor  great  wealth. 


156 

The  noble  doctor  did  not  hesitate  a  moment,  but  sent 
away  the  Persian  messenger,  saying  that  it  was  his  duty 
first  to  save  his  own  countrymen.  Then  he  immediately 
set  out  for  the  plague-stricken  city  of  Athens,  where  he 
worked  bravely  night  and  day. 

His  care  and  skill  restored  many  sufferers ;  and, 
although  thousands  died  of  the  plague,  the  remaining 
Athenians  knew  that  they  owed  him  their  lives.  When 
the  danger  was  over,  they  all  voted  that  Hippocrates 
should  have  a  golden  crown,  and  said  he  should  be 
called  an  Athenian  citizen,  —  an  honor  which  they  seldom 
granted   to    any  outsider. 

The  plague  had  not  only  carried  away  many  of  the 
poorer  citizens,  but  had  also  stricken  down  the  nobles 
and  the  rich.  Pericles'  family  suffered  from  it  too.  All 
his  children  took  it  and  died,  with  the  exception  of 
one. 

The  great  man,  in  spite  of  his  private  cares  and  sor- 
rows, was  always  in  and  out  among  the  people,  helping 
and  encouraging  them,  and  he  finally  caught  the  plague 
himself. 

His  friends  soon  saw,  that,  in  spite  of  all  their  efforts, 
he  would  die.  They  crowded  around  his  bed  in  tears, 
praising  him  in  low  tones,  and  saying  how  much  he  had 
done  for  the  Athenians  and  for  the  improvement  of 
their  city. 

"Why,"  said  one  of  them  warmly,  "  he  found  the 
city  bricks,  and  leaves  it  marble ! " 

Pericles,  whose  eyes  had  been  closed,  and  who  seemed 
unconscious,  now  suddenly  roused  himself,  and  said, 
"Why  do  you  mention  those  things?     They  were  mostly 


i57 

owing  to  my  large  fortune.  The  thing  of  which  I  am 
proudest  is  that  I  never  caused  any  fellow-citizen  to  put 
on  mourning ! " 

Pericles  then  sank  back,  and  soon  died;  but -his  friends 
always  remembered  that  he  had  ruled  Athens  for  more 
than  thirty  years  without  ever  punishing  any  one  un- 
justly, and  that  he  had  always  proved  helpful  and 
merciful  to  all. 

LXII.    THE   PHILOSOPHER   SOCRATES. 

WHEN  Pericles  died,  the  Peloponnesian  War  had 
already  been  carried  on  for  more  than  three 
years,  but  was  not  nearly  at  an  end.  As  the  Athenians 
felt  the  need  of  a  leader,  they  soon  chose  Nic'ias  to 
take  the  place  left  vacant  by  Pericles. 

This  Nicias  was  an  honest  man ;  but  he  was  unfortu- 
nately rather  dull,  and  very  slow  about  deciding  any- 
thing. Whenever  he  was  called  upon  to  see  to  matters 
of  state,  he  hesitated  so  long,  and  was  so  uncertain, 
that  the  Greeks  often  had  cause  to  regret  the  loss  of 
Pericles. 

There  was  another  man  of  note  in  Athens  at  this  time, 
the  philosopher  Socrates,  a  truly  wise  and  good  man. 
He  was  no  politician,  however;  and,  instead  of  troubling 
himself  about  the  state,  he  spent  all  his  spare  moments 
in  studying,  or  in  teaching  the  young  men  of  Athens. 

Like  his  friend  Anaxagoras,  Socrates  was  a  very  deep 
thinker.  He,  too,  always  tried  to  find  out  the  exact  truth 
about  everything.     He  was  specially  anxious  to  know  how 


i58 


the  earth  had  been  created,  who  the  Being  was  who  gave 
us  life,  and  whether  the  soul  died  with  the  body,  or  con- 
tinued to  live  after  the  body  had  fallen  into  dust. 

Socrates    was    a    poor    man,    a   stonecutter   by   trade ; 
but   he    spent   every  moment   he   could    spare   from    his 
work     in     thinking,    studying,    and    questioning    others. 
Little    by    little,    in    spite  of    the   con- 
trary   opinion   of   his  fellow-citizens, 
he  began  to  understand  that  the 
stories    of    the    Greek    gods    and 
goddesses  could  not  be  true. 

He  thought  that  there  must 
surely  be  a  God  far  greater  than 
they,  —  a  God  who  was  good  and 
powerful  and  just,  who  governed 
p  the  world  he  had  created,  and 
who  rewarded  the  virtuous  and 
punished  the  wicked. 

Socrates  believed  that  every- 
body should  be  as  good  and  gen- 
tle as  possible,  and  freely  forgive 
all  injuries.  This  belief  was  very 
different  from  that  of  all  ancient  nations,  who,  on  the 
contrary,  thought  that  they  should  try  to  avenge  every 
insult,  and  return  evil  for  evil. 

The  philosopher  Socrates  not  only  taught  this  gentle- 
ness, but  practiced  it  carefully  at  home  and  abroad. 
He  had  plenty  of  opportunity  to  make  use  of  it ;  for 
he  had  such  a  cross  wife,  that  her  name,  Xan-thip'pe, 
is   still   used   to    describe    a    scolding   and   bad-tempered 


Socrates. 


t-HrtWk, 


woman. 


159 

Whenever  Xanthippe  was  angry,  she  used  to  scold 
poor  Socrates  roundly.  He  always  listened  without  fly- 
ing into  a  passion,  or  even  answering  her;  and  when 
her  temper  was  too  unbearable,  he  quietly  left  the  house, 
and  went  about  his  business  elsewhere.  > 

This  gentleness  and  meekness  only  angered  Xanthippe 
the  more ;  and  one  day,  when  he  was  escaping  as  usual, 
she  caught  up  a  jug  full  of  water  and  poured  'it  over  his 
head. 

Socrates  good-naturedly  shook  off  the  water,  smiled, 
and  merely  remarked  to  his  companions,  "  After  the 
thunder  comes  the  rain." 


>XXc 


LXIII.     SOCRATES'    FAVORITE   PUPIL. 

AS  you  have  already  heard,  Socrates  was  a  teacher. 
He  did  not,  however,  have  a  school  like  yours, 
with  desks,  and  books,  and  maps,  and  blackboards. 
His  pupils  gathered  about  him  at  his  workshop,  or 
in  the  cool  porticoes,  or  under  the  trees  in  the  garden 
of  the  Academy. 

Then,  while  hammering  his  stone,  or  while  slowly 
pacing  up  and  down,  the  philosopher  talked  to  his 
scholars  so  gently  and  wisely,  that  even  the  richest 
and  noblest  youths  of  Athens  were  proud  to  call  him 
their  teacher.  He  also  visited  the  house  of  the  noted 
Aspasia,  and  was  a  friend  of  Pericles,  Phidias,  and 
Anaxagoras,  besides  being  the  teacher  of  three  very 
celebrated  men,  —  Pla'to,  Xen'o-phon,  and  Al-ci-bi'a-des. 


161 


Plato  and  Xenophon,  even  in  their  youth,  were  noted 
for  their  coolness  and  right-mindedness;  but  Alcibiades, 
a  general  favorite,  was  very  different  from  them  both. 
He  was  an  orphan,  and  the  ward  of  Pericles.  His 
father  had  left  him  a  large  fortune ;  and,  as  Alcibiades 
was  handsome,  intelligent,  and  very  high-spirited,  he  was 
made  much  of  and  greatly  spoiled. 

Even  as  a  little  child  he  was  very  headstrong,  and,  as 
he  had  no  father  and  mother  to  check  him,  he  was  often 
led  by  his  willfulness  into  great  danger.  We  are  told 
that  once,  when  he  saw  a  wagon  coming  down  the  street 
where  he  and  his  playmates  were  playing,  he  called  to 
the  man  to  stop.  The  man,  who  cared  nothing  for  their 
game,  drove  on,  and  the  other  children  quickly  sprang 
aside  so  as  not  to  be  run  over.  Alcibiades,  however,  flung 
himself  down  across  the  road,  in  front  of  his  playthings, 
and  dared  the  driver  to  come  on. 

This  was  of  course  very  foolish ;  and  if  the  driver  had 
given  him  a  few  sharp  cuts  with  his  whip,  it  might  have 
done  Alcibiades  a  great  deal  of  good.  But  the  man  was 
so  amused  by  the  little  fellow's  pluck,  that  he  actually 
turned  around  and  drove  through  another  street. 

When  Alcibiades  grew  a  little  older,  he  went  to  listen 
to  the  teachings  of  Socrates.  In  the  presence  of  this 
wise  man,  Alcibiades  forgot  all  his  vanity  and  willfulness, 
talked  sensibly,  and  showed  himself  well  informed  and 
kind-hearted. 

He  seemed  so  earnest  and  simple  that  Socrates  soon 
grew  very  fond  of  him.  They  often  walked  together  on 
the  street;  and  it  must  have  been  pleasing  to  see  this 
tall,  handsome,  and  aristocratic  youth,  eagerly  listening  to 

STC  OF  GR.  —  J I 


1 62 


the  wise  words  of  the  homely,  toil-worn  workman  beside 
him. 

Unfortunately,  however,  Alcibiades  could  not  pass  all 
his  time  with  the  good  philosopher,  and  when  he  left  him 
it  was  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  with  his  own  class. 
As  he  was  rich,  generous,  and  handsome,  his  companions 
always  flattered  him,  approved  of  all  he  did,  and  admired 
everything  he  said. 

This  constant  flattery  was  very  bad  for  the  young  man ; 
and,  as  he  was  anxious  to  please  everybody,  it  often  led 
him  to  do  foolish  things.  He  gave  costly  banquets,  drove 
fast  horses,  boasted  a  great  deal,  and  even  started  out  for 
his  first  battle  in  a  magnificent  suit  of  armor  all  inlaid 
with  gold. 

His  shield  was  also  inlaid  with  gold  and  ivory,  and  on 
it  was  a  picture  of  Cu'pid  throwing  the  thunderbolts  of 
Jove  (Zeus).  All  his  flatterers,  instead  of  telling  him 
frankly  that  such  armor  was  ridiculous,  admired  him 
greatly,  and  vowed  that  he  looked  like  the  god  of  the  sun. 

In  the  midst  of  the  battle,  Alcibiades,  who  was  very 
brave,  rushed  into  the  thick  of  the  foe.  His  armor  was 
not  as  strong  as  a  plainer  suit  would  have  been;  and  he 
soon  found  himself  hemmed  round,  and  almost  ready  to 
fall.  His  fine  friends  had  of  course  deserted  the  lad ; 
but,  fortunately  for  him,  Socrates  was  there.  The  philos- 
opher rushed  into  the  midst  of  the  fray,  caught  up  the 
young  man  in  his  strong  arms,  and  bore  him  off  the 
battlefield  to  a  place  of  safety,  where  he  tenderly  bound 
up  his  wounds.    • 

As  Alcibiades  was  a  good-hearted  youth,  he  felt  deeply 
grateful  to   Socrates  for  saving  his  life,  and  ever   after 


A 


163 

proudly  claimed  him  as  a  friend.  In  spite  of  the  phi- 
losopher's  advice,  however,  the  young  man  continued  to 
frequent  the  same  society;  and,  as  he  was  genial  and 
open-handed  with  all,  he  daily  grew  more  popular. 

LXIV.     YOUTH   OF  ALCIBIADES. 

S  the  Greeks  all  loved  the  Olympic  ^ames,  Alci- 
biades  was  always  seen  there.  He.  took  part  in 
the  chariot  races  especially ;  and  his  horses  won  three 
prizes  in  succession,  to  the  delight  of  his  admirers. 

Alcibiades  was  shrewd  enough,  in  spite  of  all  his 
vanity,  to  understand  that  the  people  of  Athens  loved 
him  principally  because  he  was  handsome  and  rich. 
He  also  knew  that  they  delighted  in  gossip,  and  he 
sometimes  did  a  thing  merely  to  hear  them  talk  about  it. 

He  had  a  very  handsome  dog,  for  instance ;  and  for 
a  little  while  its  beauty  was  praised  by  every  one.  But 
the  Athenians  soon  grew  used  to  the  animal,  and  ceased 
to  talk  about  it,  Then  Alcibiades  had  the  dog's  tail 
cut  off,  and  of  course  every  one  began  to  exclaim  about 
that. 

Some  of  the  Athenians  became  so  inquisitive  that 
they  asked  why  he  had  done  so,  and  he  laughingly 
answered  that  it  was  merely  in  order  to  supply  them 
with  material  for  conversation  and  wonder. 

Alcibiades  was  so  merry  and  light-hearted  that  he 
treated  even  serious  matters  in  a  joking  way.  We  are 
told,  that,  when  he  was  first  admitted  to  the  city  coun- 


1 64 

cil,  he  acted  like  a  schoolboy,  and  mischievously  let 
loose  a  captive  quail,  which  ran  in  and  out  among  the 
feet  of  the  councilors,  and  fluttered  about  so  wildly  as 
to  upset  the  gravity  of  the  whole  assembly. 

On  another  occasion  the  councilors  were  all  waiting 
for  Alcibiades  to  begin  their  proceedings.  He  entered 
the  hall  with  a  crown  of  flowers  on  his  head;  begged 
them  to  excuse  him,  because  he  could  really  not  attend 
to  business,  as  he  had  a  banquet  at  his  house  ;  and  asked 
them  to  adjourn  and  go  home  with  him. 

Strange  to  relate,  his  manner  was  so  fascinating  that 
the  grave  councilors  did  as  he  wished,  and  dropped 
their  important  business  to  feast  with  him.  It  was  on 
account  of  this  influence  that  an  Athenian  citizen  once 
bitterly  exclaimed,  "  Go  on,  my  brave  boy !  Your  pros- 
perity will  bring  ruin  on  this  crowd." 

Alcibiades  was  such  a  favorite  among  rich  and  poor, 
that  the  Athenians  would  gladly  have  made  him  king. 
Fortunately,  however,  the  young  man  still  had  sense 
enough  to  refuse  this  honor;  but,  although  he  would 
not  accept  the  title,  he  exercised  much  of  the  power  of 
a  king,  and  soon  he  and  Nicias  were  the  principal  poli- 
ticians of  the  day. 

Alcibiades  was  as  ambitious  as  Nicias  was  careful ; 
and  while  the  latter  was  always  trying  to  keep  the 
Athenians  as  quiet  and  contented  as  possible,  Alcibiades 
was  always  ready  to  think  of  some  plan  by  which  the 
power  of  the  city  could  be  extended. 

This  ambition  of  Alcibiades  was  destined  to  have  a 
very  bad  effect  upon  his  own  fortunes  and  upon  those  of 
his  native  land,  as  you  will  see  by  the  end  of  his  career. 


i65 


LXV.     GREEK   COLONIES   IN   ITALY. 

THE  Greeks,  as  you  know,  had  founded  colonies  all 
along  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor  and  on  many  of  the 
islands.  They  had  also  sailed  as  far  as  Italy  and  Sicily, 
where  they  built  many  towns. 

Little  by  little  these  colonies  grew  richer  and  stronger. 
As  the  Greek  settlers  increased  in  number,  they  claimed 
more  and  more  land.  In  Sicily  and  southern  Italy  the 
soil  was  so  fertile  that  the  people  soon  grew  very  rich ; 
and,  as  they  had  vessels  in  plenty,  they  traded  every- 
where, and  became  noted  for  their  commercial  enterprise. 

The  first  of  the  Greek  colonies  in  southern  Italy  was 
the  city  of  Syb'a-ris.  It  was  so  prosperous  that  the 
people  had  more  money  than  they  knew  what  to  do 
with ;  and  they  spent  large  sums  in  making  their  houses 
beautiful  and  in  securing  every  comfort. 

The  Syb'a-rites  soon  became  so  luxurious  in  their 
habits,  that  they  were  noted  all  over  the  country  for 
their  love  of  ease.  We  are  told  that  one  Sybarite,  for 
instance,  once  ordered  his  slaves  to  prepare  a  couch  for 
him  of  fresh  rose  leaves. 

When  it  was  ready,  he  stretched  himself  out  upon  it 
and  slept.  In  a  short  time  he  awoke  with  cries  of 
great  distress,  saying  that  he  could  not  sleep  because  a 
rose  leaf  was  crumpled  under  him,  and  chafed  his  tender 
skin. 

Ever  since  then,  when  people  make  a  great  fuss 
about  a  trifle,  they  are  apt  to  hear  the  remark,  "  'Tis 
the    crumpled    rose    leaf ! "    and   when    they    spend    too 


i66 

much    thought   upon   their   bodily   comfort,   and   indulge 
in  too  much  luxury,  they  are  called  Sybarites. 

The  people  of  this  town  continued  to  flourish  for 
some  time,  but  they  finally  quarreled  with  the  neigh- 
boring colony  of  Croton.  A  war  followed,  in  which 
the  ease-loving  Sybarites  were  defeated  and  their  city 
was  destroyed. 

Croton  and  Ta-ren'tum  on  the  mainland,  and  Messina 
and  Syr'a-cuse  on  the  Island  of  Sicily,  were  now  the 
principal  colonies.  They  were  all  very  rich  and  pros- 
perous, so  Alcibiades  told  the  Athenians  that  it  would 
be  a  good  plan  to  send  out  a  fleet  to  conquer  and 
annex  them. 

Nicias  and  his  party  opposed  this  plan;  but  when  it 
was  put  to  the  vote,  it  was  found  that  the  eloquence  of 
Alcibiades  had  prevailed.  A  large  fleet  was  prepared, 
and  Nicias,  Lam'a-chus,  and  Alcibiades  were  chosen 
generals  of  the  expedition.  The  fleet  was  on  the  point 
of  sailing  out  of  the  Piraeus,  when  the  Athenians  found 
out  that  all  the  statues  of  their  god  Her'mes,  which 
were  used  as  boundary  marks  and  milestones,  had  been 
shamefully  broken. 

The  excited  people  assembled  on  the  market  place  to 
discuss  this  event;  and  all  cried  loudly  against  it,  for 
the  statues  were  considered  sacred,  as  they  represented 
a  god.  Alcibiades'  enemies  —  and  he  had  a  number, 
although  he  was  so  popular  —  now  stepped  forward, 
and  declared  that  he  had  done  it  after  the  banquet 
which  he  had  given  to  celebrate  his  departure. 

The  young  man  denied  having  broken  the  statues, 
and  asked   that   his   trial   might   take  place  at  once,  so 


i07 

that  he  might  prove  his  innocence  before  he  started 
out;  but,  in  spite  of  this  urgent  request,  it  was  post- 
poned, and  he  was  forced  to  depart  with  this  cloud 
hanging  over  him. 


»*c 


LXVI.     ALCIBIADES    IN    DISGRACE. 

ALCIBIADES  had  no  sooner  sailed,  however,  than 
his  enemies,  grown  bolder,  began  to  talk  louder, 
and  soon  convinced  the  people  of  his  guilt.  In  their 
wrath,  the  Athenians  now  sent  a  messenger  to  Sicily  to 
overtake  him,  and  bid  him  return  to  Athens  to  be 
tried. 

His  friends,  seeing  the  excitement  of  the  people,  and 
fearing  that  they  would  condemn  him  in  anger,  sent 
word  to  him  not  to  return,  but  to  wait  until  the  popular 
fury  had  had  time  to  blow  over. 

In  obedience  to  this  advice,  Alcibiades  left  the  fleet, 
and,  instead  of  going  to  Athens,  went  straight  to 
Sparta,  where  he  took  up  his  abode.  Here  the  change- 
able youth  adopted  the  Spartan  dress,  lived  with  the 
utmost  simplicity  and  frugality,  and  even  used  the  laconic 
mode  of  speech. 

As  he  was  tall  and  strong,  and  a  very  good  athlete, 
he  soon  won  the  admiration  of  the  Spartans,  and  made 
many  friends.  During  his  stay  here,  he  heard  that  he 
had  been  tried  at  Athens,  although  absent,  found  guilty 
of  sacrilege,  and  even  sentenced  to  death. 

This  ingratitude  on  the  part  of  his  people  so  angered 


1 68 


Alcibiades,  that  he  told  the  Spartans  all  the  Athe- 
nian plans,  and  showed  how  to  upset  them.  By  his 
advice,  the  Spartans  sent  aid  to  the  Greeks  in  Sicily, 
helped  them  to  resist  the  Athenian  attack,  and  even 
captured  both  generals  and  seven  thousand  soldiers,  who 
were  put  to  death. 

The  Spartans,  still  under  Alcibiades'  instructions,  now 
took  and  fortified  the  small  town  of  Dec-e-le'a,  only  twelve 
miles  from  Athens.  Here  they  kept  an  armed  force, 
ready  to  spring  out  at  any  minute  and  molest  the  Athe- 
nians, who  thus  found  themselves 
in  a  continual  state  of  warfare 
and  insecurity. 

The  small  cities  and  islands 
which  the  Athenians  had 
won  by  force  now  seized  this 
favorable  opportunity  to  re- 
volt ;  and  the  Persians,  at 
Alcibiades'  invitation,  joined 
them,  and  again  began  to 
wage  war  with  the  proud 
city. 

The  Athenians  were  almost 
in  despair.  They  had  enemies  on  all  sides,  and  were 
also  worried  by  the  quarrels  of  aristocrats  and  demo- 
crats within  the  city.  These  two  political  parties  were 
now  so  opposed  to  each  other,  that  nothing  could  make 
them  friends. 

The  army,  longing  for  action,  and  without  a  leader, 
finally  took  matters  into  their  own  hands.  They  re- 
called  Alcibiades,   and   asked   him   to   help   them.     The 


Alcibiades. 


169 

young  man,  who  was  generous  and  kind-hearted,  im- 
mediately responded  to  this  appeal;  and,  now  that  it  was 
too  late,  he  repented  of  what  he  had  done,  and  began 
to  do  all  in  his  power  to  defeat  the  enemy  he  had 
aroused. 

By  his  eloquence  and  skill,  Alcibiades  finally  succeeded 
in  winning  the  Persians  over  to  side  with  the  Athe- 
nians, and  to  fight  against  the  Spartans;  but  all  his 
efforts  to  make  up  for  the  past  were  vain.  His  treachery 
had  ruined  Athens ;  and  when  he  led  the  troops  against 
the  Spartans,  the  Athenians  were  completely  defeated. 


**;c 


LXVII.     DEATH    OF    ALCIBIADES. 

AFRAID  to  return  to  his  native  city,  where  he  knew 
the  people  would  blame  him  for  their  sufferings, 
Alcibiades  fled.  After  roaming  about  for  some  time, 
he  took  refuge  in  a  castle  which  he  had  built  on  the 
Cher-so-ne'sus. 

From  the  height  upon  which  the  castle  stood,  Alcibi- 
ades could  overlook  the  sea  on  both  sides ;  and  he 
watched  the  Spartan  and  Athenian  fleets,  which,  un- 
known to  each  other,  had  come  to  anchor  very  near  him. 
He  soon  discovered  that  the  Spartans  had  become  aware 
of  the  presence  of  the  Athenians,  and  were  preparing 
to  surprise  them.  * 

He  therefore  left  his  castle,  and,  at  the  risk  of  his 
life,  went  down  to  warn  the  Athenians  of  the  coming 
danger.     They,  however,  treated  his  warning  with  scorn, 


I/O 

and  bade  him  return  to  his  castle,  and  remember  that  he 
no  longer  had  any  right  to  interfere  in  their  affairs.    . 

From  the  top  of  his  promontory,  Alcibiades  saw  the 
complete  destruction  of  the  Athenian  fleet.  Only  a  few 
men  managed  to  escape  to  his  castle  for  shelter;  while 
a  single  ship  sailed  in  haste  to  Athens,  to  report  the 
defeat,  and  warn  the  people  of  the  coming  danger. 

A  few  days  later  the  victorious  Spartan  army  marched 
unchallenged  into  Athens,  for  there  were  now  no  fighting 
men  left  to  oppose  them.  The  Spartans  said  that  Athens 
must  now  obey  them  in  all  things  ;  and,  to  humiliate  the 
people,  they  tore  down  the  Long  Walls  to  the  sound  of 
joyful  music  on  the  anniversary  of  the  glorious  victory 
of  Salamis. 

Thus  ended  the  Peloponnesian  War,  which,  as  you 
have  seen,  began  shortly  before  the  death  of  Pericles. 
From  this'  time  on,  the  fame  of  Athens  was  due  mostly 
to  her  literature  and  art. 

By  order  of  the  Spartans,  Solon's  laws  were  set  aside, 
and  thirty  men  were  chosen  to  govern  the  city.  These 
rulers  proved  so  stern  and  cruel,  that  they  were  soon 
known  as  the  Thirty  Tyrants,  and  were  hated  by  every 
one. 

The  Athenians  suffered  so  sorely  under  the  government 
which  the  Spartans  had  thus  forced  upon  them,  that  they 
soon  began  to  long  for  the  return  of  Alcibiades,  who, 
whatever  his  faults,  was  always  generous. 

When  the  Thirty  Tyrants  and  the  Spartans  learned  of 
this  feeling,  they  were  afraid  that  the  Athenians  would 
summon  Alcibiades,  so  they  bribed  the  Persian  governor 
to  put  him  to  death. 


171 

A  party  of  murderers  went  to  his  house  at  night, 
and  set  it  afire.  Alcibiades,  waking  up  suddenly,  tried  to 
escape  with  his  household;  but  no  sooner  had  he  reached 
the  door  than  he  found  himself  surrounded  by  enemies. 

Alcibiades  quickly  wrapped  his  cloak  around  his  left 
arm  to  serve  as  a  shield,  and,  seizing  his  sword  in  his 
right  hand,  rushed  manfully  out  upon  his  foes.  The 
Persians,  frightened  at  his  approach,  fled  in  haste ;  but 
they  came  to  a  stop  at  a  safe  distance,  and  flung  so 
many  stones  and  spears  at  him  that  he  soon  fell  dead 
from  the  blows. 

His  body  was  left  where  it  had  fallen,  and  was  found 
.•^by  his  wife,  who  loved  him  dearly  in  spite  of  all  his 
faults.  She  tenderly  wrapped  it  up  in  her  own  mantle, 
and  had  it  buried  not  far  from  where  it  lay. 

Thus  ended  the  life  of  the  brilliant  Alcibiades,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  forty,  far  away  from  his  native  land, 
and  from  the  people  whose  idol  he  had  once  been,  but 
whom  he  had  ruined  by  his  vanity. 


*&« 


LXVIII.     THE   OVERTHROW   OF  THE  THIRTY 
TYRANTS. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Thirty  Tyrants  ruled  in  Athens  but 
a  short  time,  they  condemned  fifteen  hundred  men  to 
death,  and  drove  many  good  citizens  into  exile.  During 
their  brief  period  of  authority  they  even  found  fault  with 
Socrates,  and  would  have  liked  to  kill  him,  though  he 
was  the  greatest  philosopher  the  world  has  ever  known. 


172 

As  the  rule  of  the  Thirty  Tyrants  had  been  forced 
upon  them  by  the  victorious  Spartans,  the  Athenians 
soon  resolved  to  get  rid  of  them.  Among  the  good 
citizens  whom  these  cruel  rulers  had  driven  away  into 
exile,  was  Thras-y-bu'lus,  who  was  a  real  patriot. 

He  had  seen  the  sufferings  of  the  Athenians,  and 
his  sympathy  had  been  roused.  So  he  began  plotting 
against  the  Thirty  Tyrants,  assembled  a  few  brave  men, 
entered  the  city,  drove  out  the  Spartans,  and  overturned 
their  government  when  they  least  expected  it. 

Some  years  later  the  Athenians  rebuilt  the  Long  Walls, 
which  Ly-san'der,  the  Spartan  general,  had  torn  down  to 
the  sound  of  festive  music.  They  were  so  glad  to  be 
rid  of  the  cruel  tyrants,  that  they  erected  statues  in 
honor  of  Thrasybulus,  their  deliverer,  and  sang  songs 
in  his  praise  at  all  their  public  festivals. 

The  Spartans,  in  the  mean  while,  had  been  changing 
rapidly  for  the  worse ;  for  the  defeat  of  the  Athenians 
had  filled  their  hearts  with  pride,  and  had  made  them 
fancy  they  were  the  bravest  and  greatest  people  on 
earth.     Such  conceit  is  always  harmful. 

Lysander,  in  capturing  Athens  and  the  smaller  towns 
of  Attica,  had  won  much  booty,  which  was  all  sent  to 
Sparta.  The  ephors  refused  at  first  to  accept  or  dis- 
tribute this  gold,  saying  that  the  love  of  wealth  was  the 
root  of  all  evil ;  but  they  finally  decided  to  use  it  for 
the  improvement  of  their  city. 

Lysander  himself  was  as  noble  a  man  as  he  was  a 
good  general,  and  kept  none  of  the  booty  for  his  own  use. 
On  the  contrary,  he  came  back  to  Sparta  so  poor,  that, 
when  he  died,  the  city  had  to  pay  his  funeral  expenses. 


173 

The  Spartans  felt  so  grateful  for  the  services  which 
he  had  rendered  them,  that  they  not  only  gave  him 
a  fine  burial,  but  also  gave  marriage  portions  to  his 
daughters,  and  helped  them  to  get  good  husbands. 


>xk< 


LXIX.  ACCUSATION  OF  SOCRATES. 

SOCRATES,  as  you  know,  was  one  of  the  best  and 
gentlest  of  men,  yet  he  had  many  enemies.  These 
were  principally  the  people  who  were  jealous  of  him 
and  of  his  renown  for  great  wisdom;  for  his  reputation 
was  so  well  established,  that  the  oracle  at  Delphi,  when 
consulted,  replied  that  the  most  learned  man  in  Greece 
was  Socrates. 

Although  Socrates  was  so  wise  and  good  and  gentle, 
he  was  not  at  all  conceited,  and  showed  his  wisdom  by 
never  pretending  to  know  what  he  did  not  know,  and 
by  his  readiness  to  learn  anything  new,  provided  one 
could  prove  it  to  be  true. 

Among  the  noted  Athenians  of  this  time  was  Aris- 
tophanes, a  writer  of  comedies  or  funny  plays.  He  was 
so  witty  that  his  comedies  are  still  admired  almost  as 
much  as  when  they  were  played  in  the  Theater  of 
Dionysus  for  the  amusement  of  the  people. 

Like  most  funny  men,  Aristophanes  liked  to  turn 
everything  into  ridicule.  He  had  often  seen  Socrates 
and  Alcibiades  walking  through  the  streets  of  Athens, 
and  was  greatly  amused  at  the  contrast  they  presented. 


174 

Now,  Aristophanes,  with  all  his  cleverness,  was  not 
always  just;  and  while  his  ridicule  sometimes  did  good, 
at  other  times  it  did  a  great  deal  of  harm.  He  soon 
learned  to  dislike  Alcibiades ;  but  he  saw  how  dearly  the 
people  loved  the  young  man,  and  fancied  that  his  faults 
must  be  owing  to  the  bad  advice  of  his  teacher.  Such 
was  not  the  case,  for  Socrates  had  tried  to  bring  out  all 
the  good  in  his  pupil.  Alcibiades'  pride,  insolence,  and 
treachery  were  rather  the  result  of  the  constant  flattery 
to  which  he  had  been  exposed  on  the  part  of  those  who 
claimed  to  be  his  friends. 

Aristophanes  disliked  Alcibiades  so  much  that  he  soon 
wrote  a  comedy  called  "The  Clouds,"  in  which  he  made 
fun  of  him.  Of  course,  he  did  not  call  the  people  in 
the  play  by  their  real  names ;  but  the  hero  was  a  good- 
for-nothing  young  man,  who,  advised  by  his  teacher, 
bought  fast  horses,  ran  his  father  into  debt,  cheated 
everybody,  and  treated  even  the  gods  with  disrespect. 

As  the  actors  who  took  part  in  this  comedy  dressed  and 
acted  as  nearly  as  possible  like  Alcibiades  and  Socrates, 
you  can  imagine  that  the  play,  which  was  very  comical 
and  clever,  made  the  Athenians  roar  with  laughter. 

Everybody  talked  about  it,  repeated  the  best  jokes, 
and  went  again  and  again  to  see  and  laugh  over  it. 
We  are  told  that  Socrates  went  there  himself  one  day; 
and,  when  asked  why  he  had  come,  he  quietly  said,  "I 
came  to  find  out  whether,  among  all  the  faults  of  which 
I  am  accused,  there  may  not  be  some  that  I  can  correct." 

You  see,  the  philosopher  knew  that  it  was  never  too 
late  to  mend,  and  fully  intended  to  be  as  perfect  as 
possible.     He  knew,  of  course,  that  he  could  not  straighten 


175 

his  crooked  nose  or  make  his  face  good-looking,  but  he 
hoped  to  find  some  way  of  improving  his  character. 

"The  Clouds"  amused  the  Athenians  for  about  twenty 
years;  and  when  Alcibiades  turned  traitor,  and  caused 
the  ruin  of  his  country,  the  people  still  went  to  see  it. 
In  their  anger  against  Alcibiades,  they  began  to  think 
that  perhaps  Aristophanes  was  right,  and  that  the  youth 
they  had  once  loved  so  dearly  would  never  have  turned 
out  so  badly  had  he  not  been  influenced  for  evil. 

As  the  teacher  in  the  play  was  blamed  for  all  the 
wrongdoing  of  his  pupil,  so  Socrates  was  now  accused 
by  the  Athenians  of  ruining  Alcibiades.  Little  by  little 
the  philosopher's  enemies  became  so  bold  that  they 
finally  made  up  their  minds  to  get  rid  of  him.  As  he 
was  quite  innocent,  and  as  there  was  no  other  excuse 
for  dragging  him  before  the  Tribunal,  they  finally  charged 
him  with  giving  bad  advice  to  young  men,  and  speaking 
ill  of  the  gods. 


*i*Z< 


LXX.     DEATH    OF   SOCRATES. 

HE  false  accusation  made  against  Socrates  by  his 
enemies  soon  had  the  desired  effect,  for  the  Tri- 
bunal gave  orders  for  his  arrest  and  trial.  The  philoso- 
pher, sure  of  his  innocence,  came  before  his  judges,  and 
calmly  answered  their  questions. 

He  told  them  he  had  never  turned  the  gods  into  ridi- 
cule, as  he  knew  it  was  wrong  to  make  fun  of  anything 
which  others  deemed  sacred.     Then,  as  they  still  further 


T 


176 

pressed  him  to  explain  his  views,  he  confessed  that  he 
believed  there  was  a  God  greater  and  better  than  any 
they  worshiped. 

As  to  teaching  the  young  men  anything  which  could 
do  them  harm,  he  said  it  was  quite  impossible ;  for  he 
had  ever  told  them  that  they  should  be  as  good,  virtu- 
ous, and  helpful  as  they  could,  which  was  surely  not 
wrong. 

Socrates  gave  noble  answers  to  all  their  questions ;  but 
the  judges,  blinded  with  prejudice,  believed  the  lying 
charges  of  his  enemies,  which  Socrates  scorned  to  con- 
tradict. The  philosopher's  friends  begged  him  to  use  his 
eloquence  to  defend  himself  and  confound  his  accusers ; 
but  he  calmly  refused,  saying,  "My  whole  life  and  teach- 
ing is  the  only  contradiction,  and  the  best  defense  I  can 
offer." 

Socrates,  as  you  have  seen,  was  really  one  of  the  best 
men  that  ever  lived,  and,  without  having  ever  heard  of 
the  true  God,  he  still  believed  in  him.  Nearly  four  cen- 
turies before  the  coming  of  Christ,  when  people  believed 
in  revenge,  he  preached  the  doctrine  of  "  Love  one 
another"  and  "Do  good  to  them  that  hate  you." 

But,  in  spite  of  all  his  goodness  and  constant  upright- 
ness, Socrates  the  philosopher  was  condemned  to  the 
shameful  death  of  a  base  criminal. 

Now,  in  Greece,  criminals  were  forced  to  drink  a  cup 
of  deadly  poison  at  sunset  on  the  day  of  their  condem- 
nation, and  there  was  generally  but  a  few  hours'  delay 
between  the  sentence  and  its  execution.  But  the  law  said 
that  during  one  month  in  the  year  no  such  punishment 
should  be  inflicted.     This  was  while  an  Athenian  vessel 


i77 

was  away  on  a  voyage  to  the  Island  of  De'los  to  bear 
the  annual  offerings  to  Apollo's  shrine. 

As  Socrates  was  tried  and  condemned  at  this  season, 
the  people  were  forced  to  await  the  return  of  the  vessel 
before  they  could  kill  him :  so  they  put  him  in  prison. 
Here  he  was  chained  fast,  yet  his  friends  were  allowed 
to  visit  him  and  to  talk  with  him. 

Day  after  day  the  small  band  of  his  pupils  gathered 
around  him  in  prison ;  and,  as  some  of  them  were  very 
rich,  they  bribed  the  jailer,  and  arranged  everything  for 
their  beloved  master's  escape. 

When  the  time  came,  and  Socrates  was  told  that  he 
could  leave  the  prison  unseen,  and  be  taken  to  a  place 
of  safety,  he  refused  to  go,  saying  that  it  would  be 
against  the  law,  which  he  had  never  yet  disobeyed. 

In  vain  his  friends  and  disciples  begged  him  to  save 
his  life:  he  would  not  consent.  Then  Cri'to,  one  of  his 
pupils,  began  to  weep,  in  his  distress,  and  exclaimed 
indignantly,  "  Master,  will  you  then  remain  here,  and 
die  innocent  ? " 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Socrates,  gravely.  "  Would  you 
rather  I  should  die  guilty  ? " 

Then,  gathering  his  disciples  around  him,  he  began  to 
talk  to  them  in  the  most  beautiful  and  solemn  way  about 
life  and  death,  and  especially  about  the  immortality  of 
the  soul. 

This  last  conversation  of  Socrates  was  so  attentively 
listened  to  by  his  disciple  Plato,  the  wisest  among  them 
all,  that  he  afterward  wrote  it  down  from  memory  almost 
word  for  word,  and  thus  kept  it  so  that  we  can  still  read  it. 

As  the  sun  was  slowly   setting  on  that  last  day,  the 

STO.  QF  GR. —  12 


179 

sacred  vessel  came  back  from  Delos.  The  time  of  wait 
ing  was  ended,  and  now  the  prisoner  must  die.  The 
jailer  interrupted  this  beautiful  last  talk,  and  entered  the 
cell,  bringing  the  cup  of  poison. 

Socrates  took  the  cup  from  his  hand  and  drained  it, 
unmoved,  telling  his  disciples  that  he  felt  sure  that  death 
was  only  birth  into  another  and  better  world.  Then  he 
bade  them  all  farewell. 

As  he  was  a  good  and  scrupulous  man,  very  careful 
about  paying  his  debts  and  keeping  his  promises,  he  now 
told  Crito  to  remember  that  he  had  promised  to  sacrifice 
a  cock  to  yEs-cu-la'pi-us,  the  god  of  medicine,  and  bade 
him  do  it  in  his  stead. 

He  then  lay  down  upon  his  hard  prison  bed,  and,  while 
he  felt  the  chill  of  death  slowly  creeping  upward  toward 
his  heart,  he  continued  to  teach  and  exhort  his  pupils  to 
love  virtue  and  do  right. 

All  his  last  sayings  were  carefully  treasured  by  Plato, 
who  wrote  them  down,  and  who  concludes  the  story  of 
his  death  in  these  beautiful  words :  "  Thus  died  the  man 
who,  of  all  with  whom  we  are  acquainted,  was  in  death 
the  noblest,  and  in  life  the  wisest  and  best." 

Some  time  after  the  death  of  Socrates,  che  Athenians 
found  out  their  mistake.  Filled  with  remorse,  they  re- 
called the  sentence  which  had  condemned  him,  but  they 
could  not  bring  him  back  to  life.  In  token  of  their 
sorrow,  however,  they  set  up  a  statue  of  him  in  the  heart 
of  their  city. 

This  statue,  although  made  of  bronze,  has  long  ceased  to 
exist;  but  the  remembrance  of  Socrates'  virtues  is  still  held 
dear,  and  all  who  know  his  name  both  love  and  honor  him. 


i8o 


LXXI.     THE   DEFEAT   OF   CYRUS. 

IT  was  at  the  close  of  the  Peloponnesian  War  that 
Darius  II.,  King  of  Persia,  died,  leaving  two  sons, 
Artaxerxes  and  Cy'rus.  These  two  heirs  could  not 
agree  which  should  reign.  Artaxerxes  claimed  the 
throne  because  he  was  the  elder,  and  Cyrus  because 
he  was  the  first  son  born  after  their  father  had  become 
king ;  for  in  Persia  it  was  the  custom  for  a  ruler  to 
choose  as  his  successor  a  son  born  after  he  had  taken 
possession  of  the  throne. 

The  quarrel  between  the  two  brothers  daily  became 
more  bitter;  and  when  Artaxerxes  made  himself  king 
by  force,  Cyrus  swore  that  he  would  compel  him  to 
give  up  his  place  again. 

To  oust  his  brother  from  the  throne,  Cyrus  collected 
an  army  in  Asia  Minor;  and,  as  he  could  not  secure 
enough  Persian  soldiers,  he  hired  a  body  of  eleven  thou- 
sand Greeks,  commanded  by  a  Spartan  named  Cle-ar'- 
chus. 

This  Greek  army  was  only  a  small  part  of  Cyrus' 
force;  but  he  expected  great  things  from  it,  as  the 
Persians  had  already  found  out  to  their  cost  that  the 
Greeks  were  very  good  fighters. 

After  a  long  march,  the  armies  of  both  brothers  met 
at  Cu-nax'a ;  and  there  was  a  terrible  battle,  in  the  midst 
of  which  Cyrus  was  killed.  Of  course,  his  death  ended 
the  quarrel,  and  the  Persians  all  surrendered. 

But  the  Greeks  continued  fighting  bravely,  until  Artax- 
erxes sent  them  word  that  his  brother  was  dead,  and  that 


i8i 


he  would  have  them  guided  safely  back  to  their  own 
country  if  they  would  lay  down  their  arms. 

The  Greeks,  believing  him,  immediately  stopped  fight- 
ing ;  and  their  officers  accepted  an  invitation  to  enter  the 
Persian  camp,  and  be  present  at  the  council  of  all  the 
generals. 

Their  trust  was  sadly  misplaced,  however ;  for  no 
sooner  had  the  Greek  officers  entered  the  tent  than  they 
were  surrounded  and  slain.  The  Persian  king  then  sent 
a  message  to  the  Greek  troops,  saying  that  their  leaders 
were  all  dead,  and  summoning  them  to  give  up  their 
arms  and  to  swear  to  obey  him  in  all  things. 

This  message  filled  the  hearts  of  the  Greeks  with  rage 
and  despair.  What  were  they  to  do  ?  Their  chiefs  were 
dead,  they  were  in  a  strange  country  surrounded  by  ene- 
mies, and  their  own  home  lay  eight  months'  journey 
away. 

They  had  no  leaders,  no  money  or  provisions,  and  no 
guides  to  show  them  the  way  back  across  the  burning 
sands,  deep  rivers,  and  over  the  mountains.  They  had 
nothing,  in  short,  but  the  armor  on  their  backs  and  the 
weapons  in  their  hands. 

As  they  did  not  even  know  the  language  of  the 
country,  they  could  not  ask  their  way ;  and  as  they  were 
surrounded  by  enemies,  they  must  be  constantly  on  their 
guard  lest  they  should  be  surprised  and  taken  prisoners 
or  killed.  They  were  indeed  in  a  sorry  plight;  and  no 
wonder  that  they  all  fancied  they  would  never  see  their 
homes  again.  When  night  came  on,  they  flung  them- 
selves down  upon  the  ground  without  having  eaten  any 
supper.     Their  hearts  were  so  heavy,  however,  that  they 


182 


could  not  sleep,  but  tossed  and  moaned  in  their  de- 
spair. 

In  this  army  there  was  a  pupil  of  Socrates,  called 
Xenophon.  He  was  a  good  and  brave  man.  Instead 
of  bewailing  his  bad  luck,  as  the  others  did,  he  tried  to 
think  of  some  plan  by  which  the  army  might  yet  be 
saved,  and  brought  back  to  Greece. 

His  night  of  deep  thought  was  not  in  vain;  and  as 
soon  as  morning  dawned  he  called  his  companions  to- 
gether, and  begged  them  to  listen  to  him,  as  he  had 
found  a  way  of  saving  them  from  slavery  or  death. 

Then  he  explained  to  them,  that,  if  they  were  only 
united  and  willing,  they  could  form  a  compact  body,  and, 
under  a  leader  of  their  own  choosing,  could  beat  a  safe 
retreat  toward  the  sea. 


LXXII.  THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  TEN 
THOUSAND. 

XENOPHON'S  advice  pleased  the  Greeks.  It  was  far 
better,  they  thought,  to  make  the  glorious  attempt 
to  return  home,  than  basely  to  surrender  their  arms,  and 
become  the  subjects  of  a  foreign  king. 

They  therefore  said  they  would  elect  a  leader,  and  all 
chose  Xenophon  to  fill  this  difficult  office.  He,  however, 
consented  to  accept  it  only  upon  condition  that  each 
soldier  would  pledge  his  word  of  honor  to  obey  him ; 
for  he  knew  that  the  least  disobedience  would  hinder 
success,    and    that    in    union    alone    lay    strength.      The 


183 

soldiers  understood  this  too,  and  not  only  swore  to  obey 
him,  but  even  promised  not  to  quarrel  among  themselves. 

So  the  little  army  began  its  homeward  march,  tramp- 
ing bravely  over  sandy  wastes  and  along  rocky  path- 
ways. When  they  came  to  a  river  too  deep  to  be 
crossed  by  fording,  they  followed  it  up  toward  its  source 
until  they  could  find  a  suitable  place  to  get  over  it ;  and, 
as  they  had  neither  money  nor  provisions,  they  were 
obliged  to  seize  all  their  food  on  the  way. 

The  Greeks  not  only  had  to  overcome  countless  natural 
obstacles,  but  were  also  compelled  to  keep  up  a  continual 
warfare  with  the  Persians  who  pursued  them.  Every 
morning  Xenophon  had  to  draw  up  his  little  army  in 
the  form  of  a  square,  to  keep  the  enemy  at  bay. 

They  would  fight  thus  until  nearly  nightfall,  when  the 
Persians  always  retreated,  to  camp  at  a  distance  from 
the  men  they  feared.  Instead  of  allowing  his  weary 
soldiers  to  sit  down  and  rest,  Xenophon  would  then  give 
orders  to  march  onward.  So  they  tramped  in  the  twi- 
light until  it  was  too  dark  or  they  were  too  tired  to  pro- 
ceed any  farther. 

After  a  hasty  supper,  the  Greeks  flung  themselves 
down  to  rest  on  the  hard  ground,  under  the  light  of 
the  stars ;  but  even  these  slumbers  were  cut  short  by 
Xenophon's  call  at  early  dawn.  Long  before  the  lazy 
Persians  were  awake,  these  men  were  again  marching 
onward;  and  when  the  mounted  enemy  overtook  them 
once  more,  and  compelled  them  to  halt  and  fight,  they 
were  several  miles  nearer  home. 

As  the  Greeks  passed  through  the  wild  mountain 
gorges,  they  were  further   hindered  by  the   neighboring 


1 84 

people,  who  tried  to  stop  them  by  rolling  trunks  of 
trees  and  rocks  down  upon  them.  Although  some  were 
wounded  and  others  killed,  the  little  army  pressed  for- 
ward, and,  after  a  march  of  about  a  thousand  miles, 
they  came  at  last  within  sight  of  the  sea. 

You  may  imagine  what  a  joyful  shout  arose,  and  how 
lovingly  they  gazed  upon  the  blue  waters  which  washed 
the  shores  of  their  native  land  also. 

But  although  Xenophon  and  his  men  had  come  to  the 
sea,  their  troubles  were  not  yet  ended;  for,  as  they  had 
no  money  to  pay  their  passage,  none  of  the  captains 
would  take  them  on  board. 

Instead  of  embarking,  therefore,  and  resting  their  weary 
limbs  while  the  wind  wafted  them  home,  they  were  forced 
to  tramp  along  the  seashore.  They  were  no  longer  in 
great  danger,  but  were  tired  and  discontented,  and  now 
for  the  first  time  they  began  to  forget  their  promise  to 
obey  Xenophon. 

To  obtain  money  enough  to  pay  their  passage  to 
Greece,  they  took  several  small  towns  along  their  way, 
and  robbed  them.  Then,  hearing  that  there  was  a  new 
expedition  on  foot  to  free  the  Ionian  cities  from  the 
Persian  yoke,  they  suddenly  decided  not  to  return  home, 
but  to  go  and  help  them. 

Xenophon  therefore  led  them  to  Per'ga-mus,  where  he 
gave  them  over  to  their  new  leader.  There  were  still 
ten  thousand  left  out  of  the  eleven  thousand  men  that 
Cyrus  had  hired,  and  Xenophon  had  cause  to  feel  proud 
of  having  brought  them  across  the  enemy's  territory 
with  so  little  loss. 

After  bidding  them  farewell,  Xenophon  returned  home, 


l8s 

and  wrote  down  an  account  of  this  famous  Retreat  of 
the  Ten  Thousand  in  a  book  called  the  A-nab'a-sis. 
This  account  is  so  interesting  that  people  begin  to  read 
it  as  soon  as  they  know  a  little  Greek,  and  thus  learn 
all  about  the  fighting  and  marching  of  those  brave  men. 


1>KC 


LXXIII.     AGESILAUS   IN   ASIA. 

YOU  may  remember  that  the  Greeks,  at  the  end  of 
the  Peloponnesian  War,  had  found  out  that  Sparta 
was  the  strongest  city  in  the  whole  country ;  for,  although 
the  Athenians  managed  to  drive  the  Spartans  out  of 
their  city,  they  were  still  forced  to  recognize  them  as 
the  leaders  of  all  Greece. 

The  Spartans  were  proud  of  having  reached  such  a 
position,  and  were  eager  to  maintain  it  at  any  cost. 
They  therefore  kept  all  the  Greek  towns  under  their 
orders,  and  were  delighted  to  think  that  their  king, 
A-ges-i-la'us,  was  one  of  the  best  generals  of  his  day. 

He  was  not,  however,  tall  and  strong,  like  most  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  but  puny  and  very  lame.  His  small  size 
and  bad  health  had  not  lessened  his  courage,  however, 
and  he  was  always  ready  to  plan  a  new  campaign  or  to 
lead  his  men  off  to  war. 

When  it  became  known  that  Artaxerxes  was  about  to 
march  against  the  Greek  cities  in  Ionia,  to  punish  them 
for  upholding  his  brother  Cyrus,  and  for  sending  him 
the  ten  thousand  soldiers  who  had  beat  such  a  masterly 
retreat,  Agesilaus  made  up  his  mind  to  go  and  help  them. 


1 86 


There  was  no  prospect  of  righting  at  home  just  then, 
so  the  Spartan  warriors  were  only  too  glad  to  follow 
their  king  to  Asia.  Agesilaus  had  no  sooner  landed  in 
Asia  Minor,  than  the  Greek  cities  there  gave  him  com- 
mand over  their  army,  bidding  him  defend  them  from 
the  wrath  of  Artaxerxes. 

Now,  although  the  Persian  host,  as  usual,  far  out- 
numbered the  Greek  army,  Agesilaus  won  several  vic- 
tories over  his  enemies,  who  were  amazed  that  such  a 
small  and  insignificant-looking  man  should  be  at  the 
same  time  a  king  and  a  great  general. 

They  were  accustomed  to  so  much  pomp  and  cere- 
mony, and  always  saw  their  own  king  so  richly  dressed, 
that  it  seemed  very  queer  to  them  to  see  Agesilaus 
going  about  in  the  same  garments  as  his  men,  and 
himself  leading  them  in  battle. 


^xk< 


LXXIV.     A   STRANGE   INTERVIEW. 

WE  are  told  that  Agesilaus  was  once  asked  to  meet 
the  Persian  general  Phar-na-ba'zus,  to  have  a 
talk  or  conference  with  him,  —  a  thing  which  often  took 
place  between  generals  of  different  armies. 

The  meeting  was  set  for  a  certain  day  and  hour, 
under  a  large  tree,  and  it  was  agreed  that  both  generals 
should  come  under  the  escort  of  their  personal  attend- 
ants only. 

Agesilaus,  plainly  clad  as  usual,  came  first  to  the 
meeting  place,  and,  sitting   down  upon  the    grass  under 


Agesilaus  and  Pharnabazus 


i88 


the  tree,  he  began  to  eat  his  usual  noonday  meal  of 
bread  and  onions. 

A  few  moments  later  the  Persian  general  arrived  in 
rich  attire,  attended  by  fan  and  parasol  bearer,  and  by 
servants  bringing  carpets  for  him  to  sit  upon,  cooling 
drinks  to  refresh  him,  and  delicate  dishes  to  tempt  his 
appetite. 

At  first  Pharnabazus  fancied  that  a  tramp  was  camp- 
ing under  the  tree ;  but  when  he  discovered  that  this 
plain  little  man  was  really  Agesilaus,  King  of  Sparta, 
and  the  winner  of  so  many  battles,  he  was  ashamed  of 
his  pomp,  sent  away  his  attendants,  and  sat  down  on 
the  ground  beside  the  king. 

They  now  began  an  important  talk,  and  Pharnabazus 
was  filled  with  admiration  when  he  heard  the  short  but 
noble  answers  which  Agesilaus  had  for  all  his  questions. 
He  was  so  impressed  by  the  Spartan  king,  that  he 
shook  hands  with  him  when  the  interview  was  ended. 

Agesilaus  was  equally  pleased  with  Pharnabazus,  and 
told  him  that  he  should  be  proud  to  call  him  friend. 
He  invited  him  to  leave  his  master,  and  come  and  live 
in  Greece,  where  all  noble  men  were  free. 

Pharnabazus  did  not  accept  this  invitation,  but  renewed 
the  war,  whereupon  Agesilaus  again  won  several  impor- 
tant victories.  When  the  Persian  king  heard  that  all  his 
soldiers  could  not  get  the  better  of  the  Spartan  king, 
he  resolved  to  try  the  effect  of  bribery. 

He  therefore  sent  a  messenger  to  Athens  to  promise 
this  city  and  her  allies  a  very  large  sum  of  money 
provided  that  they  would  rise  up  in  revolt  against  Sparta, 
and  thus  force  Agesilaus  to  come  home. 


1 89 


LXXV.     THE   PEACE     OF   ANTALCIDAS. 

THE  Athenians  hated  the  Spartans,  and  were  only 
waiting  for  an  excuse  to  make  war  against  them  :  so 
they  were  only  too  glad  to  accept  the  bribe  which  Artax- 
erxes  offered,  and  were  paid  with  ten  thousand  Persian 
coins  on  which  was  stamped  the  figure  of  an  archer. 

As  soon  as  the  Spartan  ephors  heard  that  the 
Athenians  had  revolted,  they  sent  a  message  to  Ages- 
ilaus to  tell  him  to  come  home.  The  Spartan  king 
was  about  to  deal  a  crushing  blow  to  the  Persians,  but 
he  was  forced  to  obey  the  summons.  As  he  embarked 
he  dryly  said,  "  I  could  easily  have  beaten  the  whole 
Persian  army,  and  still  ten  thousand  Persian  archers  have 
forced  me  to  give  up  all  my  plans." 

The  Thebans  joined  the  Athenians  in  this  revolt,  so 
Agesilaus  was  very  indignant  against  them  too.  He 
energetically  prepared  for  war,  and  met  the  combined 
Athenian  and  Theban  forces  at  Coronea,  where  he  de- 
feated them  completely. 

The  Athenians,  in  the  mean  while,  had  made  their 
alliance  with  the  Persians,  and  used  the  money  which 
they  had  received  to  strengthen  their  ramparts,  as  you 
nave  seen,  and  to  finish  the  Long  Walls,  which  had 
been  ruined  by  the  Spartans  ten  years  before. 

All  the  Greek  states  were  soon  in  arms,  siding  with 
the  Athenians  or  with  the  Spartans;  and  the  contest 
continued  until  everybody  was  weary  of  fighting.  There 
was,  besides,  much  jealousy  among  the  people  themselves, 
and  even  the  laurels  of  Agesilaus  were  envied. 


190 

The  person  who  was  most  opposed  to  him  was  the 
Spartan  An-tal'ci-das,  who,  fearing  that  further  warfare 
would  only  result  in  increasing  Agesilaus'  popularity  and 
glory,  now  began  to  advise  peace.  As  the  Greeks  were 
tired  of  the  long  struggle,  they  sent  Antalcidas  to  Asia 
to  try  to  make  »a  treaty  with  the  Persians. 

Without  thinking  of  anything  but  his  hatred  of 
Agesilaus,  Antalcidas  consented  to  all  that  the  Persians 
asked,  and  finally  signed  a  shameful  treaty,  by  which 
all  the  Greek  cities  of  Asia  Minor  and  the  Island  of 
Cy'prus  were  handed  over  to  the  Persian  king.  The 
other  Greek  cities  were  declared  independent,  and  thus 
Sparta  was  shorn  of  much  of  her  power.  This  treaty 
was  a  disgrace,  and  it  has  always  been  known  in  his- 
tory by  the  name  of  the  man  who  signed  it  out  of 
petty  spite. 


LXXVI.     THE   THEBAN    FRIENDS. 

ALTHOUGH  all  the  Greek  cities  were  to  be  free 
by  the  treaty  of  Antalcidas,  the  Spartans  kept  the 
Messenians  under  their  sway ;  and,  as  they  were  still  the 
most  powerful  people  in  Greece,  they  saw  that  the  other 
cities  did  not  infringe  upon  their  rights  in  any  way. 

Under  pretext  of  keeping  all  their  neighbors  in  order, 
the  Spartans  were  always  under  arms,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion even  forced  their  way  into  the  city  of  Thebes.  The 
Thebans,  who  did  not  expect  them,  were  not  ready  to 
make  war,  and  were  in  holiday  dress. 


i9i 

They  were  all  in  the  temple,  celebrating  the  festival  of 
Demeter,  the  harvest  goddess ;  and  when  the  Spartans 
came  thus  upon  them,  they  were  forced  to  yield  without 
striking  a  single  blow,  as  they  had  no  weapons  at  hand. 

The  Spartans  were  so  afraid  lest  the  best  and  richest 
citizens  should  try  to  make  the  people  revolt,  that  they 
exiled  them  all  from  Thebes,  allowing  none  but  the  poor 
and  insignificant  to  remain. 

To  keep  possession  of  the  city  which  they  had  won 
by  this  trick,  the  Spartans  put  three  thousand  of  their 
best  warriors  in  the  citadel,  with  orders  to  defend  and 
hold  it  at  any  price. 

Among  the  exiled  Thebans  there  was  a  noble  and 
wealthy  man  called  Pe-lop'i-das.  He  had  been  sorely 
wounded  in  a  battle  some  time  before,  and  would  have 
died  had  he  not  been  saved  by  a  fellow-citizen  named 
E-pam-i-non'das,  who  risked  his  own  life  in  the  rescue. 

This  man,  too,  was  of  noble  birth,  and  was  said  to  be 
a  descendant  of  the  men  who  had  sprung  from  the 
dragon  teeth  sown  by  Cadmus,  the  founder  of  Thebes. 
Epaminondas,  however,  was  very  poor;  and  wealth  had 
no  charms  for  him,  for  he  was  a  disciple  of  Py-thag'o-ras, 
a  philosopher  who  was  almost  as  celebrated  as  Socrates. 

Now,  although  Epaminondas  was  poor,  quiet,  and  studi- 
ous, and  Pelopidas  was  particularly  fond  of  noise  and 
bustle,  they  became  great  friends  and  almost  inseparable 
companions.  Pelopidas,  seeing  how  good  and  generous 
a  man  his  friend  was,  did  all  he  could  to  be  like  him,  and 
even  gave  up  all  his  luxurious  ways  to  live  plainly  too. 

He  therefore  had  plenty  of  money  to  spare,  and  this 
he  spent  very  freely  for  the  good   of   the  poor.     When 


192 

his  former  friends  asked  why  he  no  longer  cared  for  his 
riches,  he  pointed  to  a  poor  cripple  near  by,  and  said 
that  money  was  of  importance  only  to  unhappy  men  like 
that  one,  who  could  do  nothing  for  themselves. 


£<Kc 


LXXVII.     THEBES    FREE    ONCE   MORE. 

THE  Spartans,  coming  into  Thebes,  as  we  -have  seen, 
exiled  the  rich  and  important  Pelopidas,  but  allowed 
his  friend  .Epaminondas  to  remain.  They  little  suspected 
that  this  quiet  and  seemingly  stupid  man  would  in  time 
become  their  greatest  enemy,  and  that  the  mere  sound 
of  his  name  would  fill  their  hearts  with  dread. 

Pelopidas,  thus  forced  to  leave  home,  withdrew  to 
Athens,  where  he  was  very  kindly  received.  He  was 
not  happy,  however,  and  was  always  longing  to  return 
home,  and  see  his  friend  Epaminondas,  whose  society  he 
missed  very  much. 

He  therefore  called  a  few  of  the  Theban  exiles  together, 
and  proposed  that  they  should  return  to  Thebes  in  dis- 
guise, and,  taking  advantage  of  the  Spartans'  carelessness, 
kill  their  leaders,  and  restore  the  city  to  freedom. 

This  proposal  was  received  with  joy,  although  the 
Spartans  numbered  three  thousand,  and  the  Theban 
exiles  only  twelve.  The  chances  were  of  course  against 
them ;  but  the  men  were  so  anxious  to  free  their  city, 
that   they  resolved  to  make  the  attempt. 

They  therefore  set  out  from  Athens  with  weapons  and 
hunting  dogs,  as  if  bent  upon  a  day's  sport  in  the  country. 


193 

Thus  armed,  they  secretly  entered  the  house  of  Cha'ron, 
one  of  their  friends  in  Thebes.  Here  they  exchanged 
their  hunting  garments  for  women's  robes;  for,  hearing 
that  the  Spartan  general  and  his  officers  were  feasting, 
they  had  resolved  to  pretend  that  they  were  dancing 
girls,  in  order  to  gain  an  entrance  into  the  banquet  hall, 
and  kill  the  men  while  they  were  drinking. 

They  had  just  finished  dressing,  when  a  knock  was 
heard  at  the  door,  and  a  Spartan  soldier  came  in  and 
gravely  informed  Charon  that  the  commander  wished  to 
see  him. 

For  a  moment  Pelopidas  and  his  companions  fancied 
that  their  plans  were  discovered,  and  that  Charon  had 
betrayed  them.  He  read  this  suspicion  in  their  frightened 
faces,  and,  before  leaving  the  house  with  the  soldier,  he 
placed  his  only  son,  a  mere  infant,  in  the  arms  of  Pelop- 
idas, saying,  "There,  keep  him;  and  if  you  find  that 
I  have  betrayed  you,  avenge*  yourselves  by  killing  my 
only  child,  my  dearest  treasure." 

After  speaking  thus,  Charon  went  out,  and  soon  came 
back  to  report  that  all  was  well. 

The  Theban  exiles  now  went  to  the  banquet  hall, 
where  they  were  readily  allowed  to  enter  to  amuse  the 
company.  The  Spartan  officers,  who  were  no  longer 
frugal  and  temperate  as  of  old,  were  so  heavy  and  stupid 
with  wine,  that  the  supposed  dancing  girls  easily  killed 
them. 

One  version  of  the  story  is,  that  Pelopidas  and  his 
companions  rushed  out  into  the  street  with  lighted 
torches,  and  slew  every  Spartan  they  met.  The  Spartan 
soldiers,    deprived    of    most    of    their    officers   (who   had 

*       STO.   OF  GR. —  13 


"Avenge  yourselves  by  killing  my  only  child." 


195 

been  killed  in  the  banquet  hall),  and  greatly  frightened, 
fled  in  the  darkness  from  what  they  fancied  was  a  large 
army,    and  returned  in  haste  to  Sparta. 

Imagine  their  shame,  however,  when  it  became  known 
there  that  they  had  been  routed  by  only  twelve  deter- 
mined men !  The  Spartan  citizens  were  so  angry  that 
they  put  the  two  remaining  officers  to  death,  and,  col- 
lecting another  army,  placed  it  under  the  leadership  of 
Cle-om'bro-tus,  their  second  king,  because  Agesilaus  was 
too  ill  at  the  time  to  fight. 


:>X*J< 


LXXVIII.     THE    BATTLE   OF   LEUCTRA. 

THE  Thebans,  delighted  at  having  thus  happily  got 
rid  of  their  enemies,  had  made  Pelopidas  and  Epam- 
inondas  Bce'o-tarchs,  or  chiefs  of  Bceotia,  the  country 
of  which  Thebes  was  the  capital.  These  two  men,  know- 
ing well  that  the  Spartans  would  soon  send  an  army  to 
win  back  the  city,  now  made  great  preparations  to  oppose 
them. 

Epaminondas  was  made  general  of  the  army;  and 
Pelopidas  drilled  a  choice  company,  called  the  Sacred 
Battalion.  This  was  formed  of  three  hundred  brave  young 
Thebans,  who  took  a  solemn  oath  never  to  turn  their 
backs  upon  the  enemy  or  to  surrender,  and  to  die  for 
their  native  country  if  necessary. 

The  Thebans  then  marched  forth  to  meet  their  foes; 
and  the  two  armies  met  at  Leuc'tra,  a  small  town  in 
Bceotia.     As  usual,  the  Thebans  had  consulted  the  oracles 


196 

to  find  out  what  they  should  do,  and  had  been  told  that 
all  the  omens  were  unfavorable.  Epaminondas,  however, 
nobly  replied  that  he  knew  of  none  which  forbade  fight- 
ing for  the  defense  of  one's  country,  and  he  boldly  ordered 
the  attack. 

The  Spartans  were  greatly  amused  when  they  heard 
that  Epaminondas,  a  student,  was  the  commander  of 
the  army,  and  they  expected  to  win  a  very  easy  victory. 
They  were  greatly  surprised,  therefore,  when  their  on- 
slaught was  met  firmly,  and  when,  in  spite  of  all  their 
valor,  they  found  themselves  defeated,  and  heard  that 
their  leader,  Cleombrotus,  was  dead. 

The  Thebans,  of  course,  gloried  in  their  triumph;  but 
Epaminondas  remained  as  modest  and  unassuming  as 
ever,  merely  remarking  that  he  was  glad  for  his  coun- 
try's and  parents'  sake  that  he  had  been  successful.  To 
commemorate  their  good  fortune,  the  Thebans  erected  a 
trophy  on  the  battlefield  of  Leuctra,  where  their  troops 
had  covered  themselves  with  glory. 

The  inhabitants  of  Sparta,  who  had  counted  confidently 
upon  victory,  were  dismayed  when  they  saw  only  a  few 
of  their  soldiers  return  from  the  battle,  and  heard  that 
the  Thebans  were  pursuing  them  closely.  Before  they 
could  collect  new  troops,  the  enemy  marched  boldly  down 
into  Laconia ;  and  the  women  of  Sparta  now  beheld  the 
smoke  of  the  enemy's  camp  for  the  first  time  in  many 
years.  As  there  were  neither  walls  nor  fortifications  of 
any  kind,  you  can  easily  imagine  that  the  inhabitants 
were  in  despair,  and  thought  that  their  last  hour  had 
come. 

If  Epaminondas  had  been  of  a  revengeful  temper,  he 


197 

could  easily  have  destroyed  the  city ;  but  he  was  gentle 
and  humane,  and,  remaining  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
place,  he  said  that  he  would  go  away  without  doing  the 
Spartans  any  harm,  provided  they  would  promise  not  to 
attack  Thebes  again,  and  to  set  the  Messenians  free. 

These  conditions  were  eagerly  agreed  to  by  the  Spar- 
tans, who  found  themselves  forced  to  take  a  second- 
ary place  once  more.  Athens  had  ruled  Greece,  and 
had  been  forced  to  yield  to  Sparta ;  but  now  Sparta  was 
compelled  in  her  turn  to  recognize  the  supremacy  of 
Thebes. 


&Kc 


LXXIX.     DEATH   OF   PELOPIDAS. 

THEBES  was  the  main  power  in  Greece  after  the 
brilliant  victory  at  Leuctra,  and  for  a  short  time  the 
city  managed  to  maintain  its  supremacy.  By  virtue  of  its 
position,  it  decided  the  destiny  of  less  powerful  cities ; 
and  when  Al-ex-an'der,  tyrant  of  Thessaly,  became  very 
cruel,  the  Thebans  sent  Pelopidas  to  remonstrate  with 
him. 

Instead  of  treating  the  ambassador  of  the  Thebans 
with  courtesy,  however,  the  Thessalian  tyrant  loaded 
him  with  heavy  chains,  put  him  in  prison,  and  vowed  he 
would  keep  him  there  as  long  as  he  lived. 

When  the  news  of  this  outrage  reached  the  Thebans, 
they  set  out  at  once,  under  the  guidance  of  two  new 
Bceotarchs,  to  deliver  their  beloved  fellow-citizen.  Epami- 
nondas,    too,    marched   in   the  ranks;    for,  now  that   his 


198 

term  of  office  was  ended,  he  had  contentedly  returned  to 
his  former  obscure  position. 

The  new  Boeotarchs  were  unfortunately  very  poor  gen- 
erals. They  met  the  Thessalian  army,  but  were  defeated 
and  driven  back.  Indeed,  the  Thebans  were  soon  in  such 
danger,  that  the  soldiers  revolted  against  their  generals, 
and  begged  Epaminondas  again  to  take  the  lead. 

As  they  were  in  great  distress,  Epaminondas  could 
not  refuse  to  help  them:  so  he  assumed  the  command, 
and  beat  such  a  skillful  retreat  that  he  brought  them 
out  of  the  country  in  safety. 

The  following  year,  when  again  chosen  Bceotarch, 
Epaminondas  made  plans  for  a  second  campaign,  and 
marched  into  Thessaly  to  deliver  his  friend,  who  was 
still  a  prisoner. 

When  Alexander  the  tyrant  heard  that  Epaminondas 
was  at  the  head  of  the  army,  he  was  frightened,  and 
tried  to  disarm  the  wrath  of  the  Thebans  by  setting 
Pelopidas  free,  and  sending  him  to  meet  the  advancing 
army. 

Of  course,  Epaminondas  was  very  glad  to  see  his  friend ; 
but  when  he  heard  how  cruelly  Alexander  treated  all  his 
subjects,  he  nevertheless  continued  his  march  northward, 
hoping  to  rid  the  country  of  such  a  bad  ruler. 

Just  then  the  Spartans,  in  spite  of  their  solemn  prom- 
ise, suddenly  rose  up  in  arms  against  the  Thebans;  and 
Epaminondas,  leaving  part  of  the  army  in  Thessaly  with 
Pelopidas,  hurried  southward  with  the  rest  to  put  down 
the  revolt. 

Pelopidas  marched  boldly  northward,  met  the  Thessa- 
lians,  and  fought  a  fierce  battle.     When  it  was  over,  the 


199 

Thebans,  although  victorious,  were  very  sad;  for  their 
leader,  Pelopidas,  had  been  slain  in  the  midst  of  the  fray. 
Still,  undaunted  by  his  death,  the  army  pursued  the 
Thessalians,  and  killed  Alexander.  Then,  to  show  their 
scorn  for  such  a  vile  wretch,  they  dragged  his  body 
through  the  mud,  and  finally  flung  it  out  of  a  palace 
window  into  the  courtyard,  where  it  was  torn  to  pieces 
by  his  own  bloodhounds. 


-oojOjo* 


■L 


LXXX.    THE   BATTLE  OF   MANTIN'EA. 

WHEN  Epaminondas  heard  that  his  friend  Pelopidas 
was  dead,  he  grieved  sorely;  but  nevertheless, 
knowing  that  his  country  had  need  of  him,  he  vigorously 
continued  his  preparations  to  meet  and  conquer  the 
Spartan  army. 

The  battle  promised  to  be  hard  fought ;  for  while  Epam- 
inondas, the  victor  of  Leuctra,  led  the  Thebans,  Agesilaus, 
the  hero  of  countless  battles,  was  again  at  the  head  of  the 
Spartan  army.  The  Thebans  pressed  forward  so  eagerly, 
however,  that  the  two  armies-  met  at  Man-ti-ne'a,  in  the 
central  part  of  the  Peloponnesus. 

In  spite  of  Agesilaus'  courage  and  experience,  and  the 
well-known  discipline  of  the  Spartan  troops,  the  Thebans 
again  won  a  splendid  victory  over  their  foes.  Their  joy, 
however,  was  turned  to  mourning  when  they  heard  that 
Epaminondas  had  been  mortally  wounded  just  as  the 
battle  was  drawing  to  an  end. 

A  spear  had  pierced  his  breast;    and  as  he   sank  to 


200 


the  ground,  some  of  his  followers  caught  him,  bore  him 
away  tenderly  in  their  arms,  and  carefully  laid  him  down 
under  a  tree  on  a  neighboring  hillside.  As  soon  as  he 
opened  his  eyes,  he  eagerly  asked  how  the  army  was 
getting  along. 

Gently  raising  him  so  that  he  could  see  the  battlefield, 
his  friends  pointed  out  the  Spartan  army  in  full  flight, 
and  the  Thebans  masters  of  the  field.  Epaminondas 
sank  back  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  but  soon  roused  himself 
again  to  ask  whether  his  shield  were  safe. 

It  was  only  when  he  had  seen  it  that  he  would  allow 
the  doctors  to  examine  his  wound.  They  found  the  head 
of  a  barbed  spear  sunk  deep  into  his  breast,  and  said  that 
it  must  be  pulled  out.  Still  they  hesitated  to  draw  it  out, 
for  they  feared  that  the  rush  of  blood  would  kill  him. 

Epaminondas,  therefore,  bade  them  leave  it  alone,  al- 
though he  was  suffering  greatly;  and  then  he  called  for 
his  assistant  generals,  to  give  them  a  few  important  or- 
ders. The  friends  standing  around  him  sadly  told  him 
that  both  had  fallen  in  the  battle,  and  could  no  longer 
execute  his  commands.  When  Epaminondas  heard  this 
unwelcome  news,  he  realized  that  there  was  no  one  left 
who  could  replace  him,  and  maintain  the  Theban  suprem- 
acy :  so  he  advised  his  fellow-countrymen  to  seize  the 
favorable  opportunity  to  make  peace  with  the  Spartans. 

When  he  had  thus  done  all  in  his  power  to  provide 
for  the  future  welfare  of  his  native  city,  Epaminondas 
drew  out  the  spear  from  his  wound  with  his  own  hand, 
for  he  saw  that  his  friends  were  afraid  to  touch  it. 

As  the  doctors  had  foreseen,  there  was  a  great  rush  of 
blood,  and  they  soon   saw  that   Epaminondas   had   only 


201 

a  few  minutes  to  live.  His  friends  wept  over  him,  and 
one  of  them  openly  expressed  his  regret  that  Epaminon- 
das  left  no  children. 

These  words  were  heard  by  the  dying  hero,  who 
opened  his  eyes  once  more,  and  gently  said,  "  Leuctra 
and  Mantinea  are  daughters  enough  to  keep  my  name 
alive ! " 

This  saying  has  proved  true;  for  these  two  great  vic- 
tories are  put  down  in  every  Greek  history,  and  are 
never  spoken  of  except  in  connection  with  the  noble 
general  who  won  them  in  behalf  of  his  country,  and 
died  on  the  field  when  the  last  victory  was  secured. 

In  memory  of  Epaminondas,  their  greatest  citizen  and 
general,  the  Thebans  erected  a  monument  on  the  bat- 
tlefield, and  engraved  his  name  upon  it,  with  an  image 
of  the  dragon  from  whose  teeth  his  ancestors  had 
sprung. 

The  Thebans,  remembering  his  dying  wish,  then  pro- 
posed a  peace,  which  was  gladly  accepted  by  all  the 
Greek  states,  for  they  were  exhausted  by  the  almost 
constant  warfare   they  had  kept  up  during   many  years. 


LXXXI.  THE  TYRANT  OF  SYRACUSE. 

YOU  have  seen  what  a  cruel  man  Alexander  was. 
He  was  not  the  only  tyrant  in  those  days,  however; 
for  the  city  of  Syracuse  in  Sicily,  which  Alcibiades  had 
hoped  to  conquer,  was  ruled  by  a  man  as  harsh  and 
mean  as  Alexander. 


202 


This  tyrant,  whose  name  was  Di-o-nys'ius,  had  seized 
the  power  by  force,  and  kept  his  authority  by  exercis- 
ing the  greatest  severity.  He  was  always  surrounded  by 
guards,  who  at  a  mere  sign  from  him  were  ready  to  put 
any  one  to  death. 

Dionysius  was  therefore  feared  and  hated  by  the  people 
whom  he  governed,  but  who  would  have  been  very  glad 
to  get  rid  of  him.  No  honest  man  cared  to  come  near 
such  a  bloodthirsty  wretch,  and  there  were  soon  none  but 
wicked  men  to  be  found  in  his  court. 

These  men,  hoping  to  win  his  favor  and  get  rich 
gifts,  used  to  flatter  him  constantly.  They  never  told 
him  the  truth,  but  only  praised  him,  and  made  believe 
to  admire  all  he  said  and  did. 

Of  course,  even  though  they  were  wicked  too,  they 
could  not  really  admire  him,  but  secretly  hated  and  de- 
spised him.  Their  praise,  therefore,  was  as  false  as  they, 
and  their  advice  was  always  as  bad  as  bad  could  be. 

Now,  Dionysius  was  as  conceited  as  he  was  cruel,  and 
fancied  that  there  was  nothing  he  could  not  do.  Among 
other  things,  he  thought  he  could  write  beautiful  poetry. 
Whenever  he  wrote  a  poem,  therefore,  he  read  it  aloud 
to  all  his  courtiers,  who  went  into  raptures  over  it, 
although  they  made  great  fun  of  it  behind  his  back. 

Dionysius  was  highly  flattered  by  their  praise,  but 
thought  he  would  like  to  have  it  confirmed  by  the  phi- 
losopher Phi-lox'e-nus,  the  most  learned  man  of  Syra- 
cuse. 

He  therefore  sent  for  Philoxenus,  and  bade  him  give 
his  candid  opinion  of  the  verse.  Now,  Philoxenus  was 
far  too  noble  a  man  to  tell  a  lie ;  and  whenever  he  was 


203 

consulted  by  Dionysius,  he  always  boldly  told  the  truth, 
whether  it  was  agreeable  or  not. 

When  the  tyrant  asked  his  opinion  about  the  poems, 
therefore,  he  unhesitatingly  answered  that  they  were 
trash,  and  did  not  deserve  the  name  of  poetry  at  all. 

This  answer  so  angered  Dionysius,  and  so  sorely 
wounded  his  vanity,  that  he  called  his  guards,  and  bade 
them  put  the  philosopher  into  a  prison  hewn  out  of  the 
living  rock,  and  hence  known  as  "The  Quarries." 

Here  Philoxenus  was  a  prisoner  for  many  a  day,  al- 
though his  only  fault  was  having  told  the  tyrant  an 
unwelcome  truth  when  asked  to  speak. 

The  philosopher's  friends  were  indignant  on  hearing 
that  he  was  in  prison,  and  signed  a  petition  asking  Dio- 
nysius to  set  him  free.  The  tyrant  read  the  petition,  and 
promised  to  grant  their  request  on  condition  that  the 
philosopher  would  sup  with  him. 

Dionysius'  table  was  well  decked,  as  usual,  and  at 
dessert  he  again  read  aloud  some  new  verses  which  he 
had  composed.  All  the  courtiers  went  into  ecstasies  over 
them,  but  Philoxenus  did  not  say  a  word. 

Dionysius,  however,  fancied  that  his  long  imprisonment 
had  broken  his  spirit,  and  that  he  would  not  now  dare 
refuse  to  give  a  few  words  of  praise :  so  he  pointedly 
asked  Philoxenus  what  he  thought  of  the  poem.  Instead 
of  answering,  the  philosopher  gravely  turned  toward  the 
guards,  and  in  a  firm  voice  cried  aloud,  "  Take  me  back 
to  The  Quarries !  "  thus  showing  very  plainly  that  he 
preferred  suffering  to  telling  an  untruth. 

The  courtiers  were  aghast  at  his  rashness,  and  fully 
expected  that  the  tyrant  would  take  him  at  his  word  and 


204 

put  him  in  prison,  if  nothing  worse ;  but  Dionysius  was 
struck  by  the  moral  courage  which  made  Philoxenus  tell 
the  truth  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  and  he  bade  him  go 
home  in  peace. 


>;*;< 


LXXXII.      STORY   OF    DAMON   AND   PYTHIAS. 

THERE  lived  in  those  days  in  Syracuse  two  young 
men  called  Da'mon  and  Pyth'i-as.  They  were  very 
good  friends,  and  loved  each  other  so  dearly  that  they 
were  hardly  ever  seen  apart. 

Now,  it  happened  that  Pythias  in  some  way  roused 
the  anger  of  the  tyrant,  who  put  him  in  prison,  and  con- 
demned him  to  die  in  a  few  days.  When  Damon  heard 
of  it,  he  was  in  despair,  and  vainly  tried  to  obtain  his 
friend's  pardon  and  release. 

The  mother  of  Pythias  was  very  old,  and  lived  far  away 
from  Syracuse  with  her  daughter.  When  the  young 
man  heard  that  he  was  to  die,  he  was  tormented  by  the 
thought  of  leaving  the  women  alone.  In  an  interview 
with  his  friend  Damon,  Pythias  regretfully  said  that  he 
would  die  easier  had  he  only  been  able  to  bid  his 
mother  good-by  and  find  a  protector  for  his  sister. 

Damon,  anxious  to  gratify  his  friend's  last  wish,  went 
into  the  presence  of  the  tyrant,  and  proposed  to  take 
the  place  of  Pythias  in  prison,  and  even  on  the  cross,  if 
need  be,  provided  the  latter  were  allowed  to  visit  his 
relatives  once  more. 

Dionysius   had   heard   of    the   young    men's   touching 


205 

friendship,  and  hated  them  both  merely  because  they 
were  good ;  yet  he  allowed  them  to  change  places,  warn- 
ing them  both,  however,  that,  if  Pythias  were  not  back 
in  time,  Damon  would  have  to  die  in  his  stead. 

At  first  Pythias  refused  to  allow  his  friend  to  take 
his  place  in  prison,  but  finally  he  consented,  promising 
to  be  back  in  a  few  days  to  release  him.  So  Pythias 
hastened  home,  found  a  husband  for  his  sister,  and  saw 
her  safely  married.  Then,  after  providing  for  his  mother 
and  bidding  her  farewell,  he  set  out  to  return  to  Syra- 
cuse. 

The  young  man  was  traveling  alone  and  on  foot.  He 
soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  thieves,  who  bound  him  fast 
to  a  tree;  and  it  was  only  after  hours  of  desperate 
struggling  that  he  managed  to  wrench  himself  free  once 
more,  and  sped  along  his  way. 

He  was  running  as  hard  as  he  could  to  make  up  for 
lost  time,  when  he  came  to  the  edge  of  a  stream.  He 
had  crossed  it  easily  a  few  days  before ;  but  a  sudden 
spring  freshet  had  changed  it  into  a  raging  torrent, 
which  no  one  else  would  have  ventured  to  enter. 

In  spite  of  the  danger,  Pythias  plunged  into  the 
water,  and,  nerved  by  the  fear  that  his  friend  would  die 
in  his  stead,  he  fought  the  waves  so  successfully  that 
he  reached  the  other  side  safe  but  almost  exhausted. 

Regardless  of  his  pains,  Pythias  pressed  anxiously 
onward,  although  his  road  now  lay  across  a  plain, 
where  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun  and  the  burning  sands 
greatly  increased  his  fatigue  and  faintness,  and  almost 
made  him  die  of  thirst.  Still  he  sped  onward  as  fast 
as  his  trembling  limbs  could  carry  him;  for  the  sun  was 


207 

sinking  fast,  and  he  knew  that  his  friend  would  die  if 
he  were  not  in  Syracuse  by  sunset. 

Dionysius,  in  the  mean  while,  had  been  amusing  him- 
self by  taunting  Damon,  constantly  telling  him  that  he 
was  a  fool  to  have  risked  his  life  for  a  friend,  however 
dear.  To  anger  him,  he  also  insisted  that  Pythias  was 
only  too  glad  to  escape  death,  and  would  be  very  careful 
not  to  return  in  time. 

Damon,  who  knew  the  goodness  and  affection  of  his 
friend,  received  these  remarks  with  the  scorn  they 
deserved,  and  repeated  again  and  again  that  he  knew 
Pythias  would  never  break  his  word,  but  would  be  back 
in  time,  unless  hindered  in  some  unforeseen  way. 

The  last  hour  came.  The  guards  led  Damon  to  the 
place  of  crucifixion,  where  he  again  asserted  his  faith  in 
his  friend,  adding,  however,  that  he  sincerely  hoped 
Pythias  would  come  too  late,  so  that  he  might  die  in 
his  stead. 

Just  as  the  guards  were  about  to  nail  Damon  to 
the  cross,  Pythias  dashed  up,  pale,  bloodstained,  and 
disheveled,  and  flung  his  arms  around  his  friend's  neck 
with  a  sob  of  relief.  For  the  first  time  Damon  now 
turned  pale,  and  began  to  shed  tears  of  bitter  regret. 

In  a  few  hurried,  panting  words,  Pythias  explained  the 
cause  of  his  delay,  and,  loosing  his  friend's  bonds  with 
his  own  hands,  bade  the  guards  bind  him  instead. 

Dionysius,  who  had  come  to  see  the  execution,  was 
so  touched  by  this  true  friendship,  that  for  once  he  for- 
got his  cruelty,  and  let  both  young  men  go  free,  saying 
that  he  would  not  have  believed  such  devotion  possible 
had  he  not  seen  it  with  his  own  eyes. 


208 


This  friendship,  which  wrung  tears  from  the  grim 
executioners,  and  touched  the  tyrant's  heart,  has  become 
proverbial.  When  men  are  devoted  friends,  they  are 
often  compared  to  Damon  and  Pythias,  whose  story  has 
been  a  favorite  with  poets  and  playwrights. 


^oXKc 


LXXXIII.     THE   SWORD   OF   DAMOCLES. 

DIONYSIUS,  tyrant  of  Syracuse,  was  not  happy,  in 
spite  of  all  his  wealth  and  power.  He  was  espe- 
cially haunted  by  the  constant  fear  that  some  one  would 
murder  him,  for  he  had  been  so  cruel  that  he  had 
made  many  bitter  enemies. 

We  are  told  that  he  was  so  afraid,  that  he  never  went 
out  unless  surrounded  by  guards,  sword  in  hand,  and 
never  walked  into  any  room  until  his  servants  had  ex- 
amined every  nook  and  corner,  and  made  sure  that  no 
murderer  was  hiding  there. 

The  tyrant  even  carried  his  caution  so  far,  that  no  one 
was  allowed  to  come  into  his  presence  until  thoroughly 
searched,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  the  visitor  had  no 
weapon  hidden  about  his  person.  When  his  barber  once 
jokingly  said  that  the  tyrant's  life  was  daily  at  his  mercy, 
Dionysius  would  no  longer  allow  the  man  to  shave  him. 

Instead  of  the  barber,  Dionysius  made  his  wife  and 
daughter  do  this  service  for  him,  until,  growing  afraid  of 
them  also,  he  either  did  it  himself  or  let  his  beard  grow. 

Suspicious  people  are  never  happy;  and,  as  Dionysius 
thought  that  everybody  had  as  evil  thoughts  as  himself, 


209 

he  was  always  expecting  others  to  rob  or  murder  01 
injure  him  in  some  way. 

His  sleep,  even,  was  haunted  by  fear;  and,  lest  some 
one  should  take  him  unawares,  he  slept  in  a  bed  sur- 
rounded by  a  deep  trench.  There  was  a  drawbridge 
leading  to  the  bed,  which  he  always  drew  up  himself 
on  his  own  side,  so  that  no  one  could  get  at  him  to 
murder  him  in  his  sleep. 

Among  the  courtiers  who  daily  visited  Dionysius  there 
was  one  called  Dam'o-cles.  He  was  a  great  flatterer,  and 
was  never  weary  of  telling  the  tyrant  how  lucky  and 
powerful  and  rich  he  was,  and  how  enviable  was  his 
lot. 

Dionysius  finally  grew  tired  of  hearing  his  flattery ;  and 
when  he  once  added,  "  If  I  were  only  obeyed  as  well  as 
you,  I  should  be  the  happiest  of  men,"  the  tyrant  offered 
to  take  him  at  his  word. 

By  his  order,  Damocles  was  dressed  in  the  richest  gar- 
ments, laid  on  the  softest  couch  before  the  richest  meal, 
and  the  servants  were  told  to  obey  his  every  wish.  This 
pleased  Damocles  greatly.  He  laughed  and  sang,  ate 
and  drank,  and  was  enjoying  himself  most  thoroughly. 

By  chance  he  idly  gazed  up  at  the  ceiling,  and  saw 
a  naked  sword  hanging  by  a  single  hair  directly  over 
his  head.  He  grew  pale  with  terror,  the  laughter  died 
on  his  lips,  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  move,  he  sprang 
from  the  couch,  where  he  had  been  in  such  danger  of 
being  killed  at  any  minute  by  the  falling  sword. 

Dionysius  with  pretended  surprise  urged  him  to  go  back 
to  his  seat ;  but  Damocles  refused  to  do  so,  and  pointed 
to  the  sword  with  a  trembling  hand.     Then    the  tyrant 

STO.    OF   GR. —  14. 


2IO 


told  him  that  a  person  always  haunted  by  fear  can 
never  be  truly  happy,  —  an  explanation  which  Damocles 
readily  understood. 

Since  then,  whenever  a  seemingly  happy  and  prosper- 
ous person  is  threatened  by  a  hidden  danger,  it  has  been 
usual  to  compare  him  to  Damocles,  and  to  say  that  a 
sword  is  hanging  over  his  head. 

LXXXIV.     DION   AND    DIONYSIUS. 

WHEN  Dionysius  the  tyrant  died  at  last,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  a  lazy,  good-for-nothing  young 
man,  who  was  always  changing  his  mind.  Every  day  he 
had  some  new  fancy,  admired  something  new,  or  rode 
some  new  hobby.  As  the  son's  name  was  the  same  as  the 
father's,  the  latter  is  now  sometimes  known  as  Dionysius 
the  Elder,  while  the  son  is  generally  called  Dionysius 
the  Younger. 

The  new  tyrant  had  a  brother-in-law  named  Di'on,  a 
good  and  studious  man,  who  had  received  an  excellent 
education.  Like  most  rich  young  Greeks  of  his  day, 
Dion  had  gone  to  Athens  to  finish  his  studies ;  and 
there  he  had  been  a  pupil  of  Plato,  the  disciple  of 
Socrates. 

As  Dion  was  modest,  truthful,  and  eager  to  learn,  he 
soon  became  a  favorite  of  Plato,  who  took  great  interest 
in  him,  and  spared  no  pains  to  make  him  a  fine  scholar 
and  philosopher. 

When   Dion  came  back  to  Syracuse,   he  often  spoke 


II 


with  great  warmth  of  his  teacher.  This  so  excited  the 
curiosity  of  Dionysius,  the  new  tyrant,  that  he  longed 
to  see  Plato  himself.  He  therefore  begged  Dion  to 
invite  Plato  to  Syracuse  to  teach  him  also. 

The  young  man  was  very  glad  to  do  so.  He  hoped, 
that,  under  the  philosopher's  wise  teachings,  Dionysius 
would  learn  to  be  good  and  industrious,  and  thus  become 
a  blessing  instead  of  a  curse  to  his  people.  But  Plato 
was  already  an  old  man,  and  answered  that  he  could 
not  undertake  so  long  a  journey  at  his  advanced  age. 

Dion  then  wrote  again  such  imploring  letters,  that  the 
philosopher  finally  decided  to  change  his  mind,  and  set 
sail  for  Syracuse.  There  he  was  received  at  the  shore 
by  Dionysius  in  person,  and  escorted  to  the  palace. 

For  a  short  time  the  tyrant  listened  with  great  pleas- 
ure to  the  philosopher's  teachings.  Then,  growing  weary 
of  virtue  as  of  everything  else,  he  suddenly  began  to 
reproach  Dion  for  bringing  such  a  tiresome  person  to 
court. 

All  the  courtiers  had  pretended  to  listen  to  Plato's 
teaching  with  the  greatest  interest ;  but  they  liked  feast- 
ing better  than  philosophy,  and  now  began  to  make  fun 
of  the  great  Athenian,  and  to  turn  him  into  ridicule. 

They  were  so  afraid  that  the  virtuous  Dion  would 
again  win  their  fickle  master's  ear,  and  induce  him  to 
do  something  really  useful  and  reasonable,  that  they 
made  up  their  minds  to  get  rid  of  him. 

By  artful  slander  they  soon  made  Dionysius  believe 
that  his  brother-in-law  was  a  traitor,  and  that  his  only 
wish  was  to  take  the  power,  and  become  tyrant  of  Syra- 
cuse in  his  stead. 


212 

Now,  these  accusations  were  not  true;  but  Dionysius 
believed  them,  and  sent  Dion  into  exile,  forbidding  his 
wife,  who  loved  him  dearly,  to  go  with  him,  and  even 
forcing  her  to  take  another  husband  instead. 

The  courtiers  wished  to  revenge  themselves  for  the 
weary  hours  they  had  spent  listening  to  Plato's  beautiful 
talk,  which  they  were  too  base  to  understand,  so  they 
now  said  that  he  had  helped  Dion ;  and  they  had  him 
first  put  into  prison,  and  then  sold  into  slavery. 

Happily,  there  were  some  of  the  philosopher's  friends 
in  town ;  and  they,  hearing  of  this  outrage,  knew  no  rest 
until  they  had  bought  his  freedom,  and  sent  him  back 
to  Athens  to  end  his  life  in  peace. 

On  his  way  home,  Plato  stopped  at  Olympia  to  attend 
the  games.  As  soon  as  the  people  found  out  that  he  was 
there,  they  shouted  for  joy ;  and  one  and  all  voted  him  a 
crown  just  like  those  won  by  the  victors  in  the  games. 

This  was  the  highest  honor  the  Greeks  could  bestow; 
and,  although  it  was  nothing  but  a  wreath  of  olive  leaves, 
you  may  be  sure  that  the  philosopher  prized  it  more 
highly  than  if  it  had  been  of  pure  gold,  because  it  was 
a  token  of  the  love  and  respect  of  his  countrymen. 


LXXXV.     CIVIL  WAR   IN    SYRACUSE. 

WHEN  Dion  was  exiled  from  Syracuse  by  Dionys- 
ius, he  went  to  Greece,  where  he  was  unhappy 
only  because  he  could  not  see  the  wife  and  child  he 
loved  so  dearly. 


213 

When  he  heard  that  the  tyrant  had  forced  his  wife 
to  belong  to  another  husband,  he  vowed  he  would  pun- 
ish Dionysius  for  this  crime.  Plato  vainly  tried  to  per- 
suade Dion  not  to  return  to  Syracuse.  The  young  man 
refused  to  listen  to  his  advice,  and,  gathering  together 
a  small  army,  he  set  sail  without  delay. 

He  landed  boldly,  although  he  was  an  exile,  and  was 
welcomed  with  great  joy  by  all  the  people,  who  were 
very  weary  of  their  ruler.  When  he  told  them  that  he 
had  come  to  punish  the  tyrant,  they  all  joined  him,  and 
marched  with  him  up  to  the  palace. 

As  Dionysius  was  out  of  town  at  the  time,  they  had 
no  trouble  whatever  in  getting  into  the  royal  dwelling. 
This  was  hastily  deserted  by  the  tyrant's  few  friends, 
who  took  refuge  in  the  citadel. 

Some  time  after,  when  Dionysius  came  back  to  the 
city,  he  found  the  harbor  blocked  by  a  great  chain 
stretched  across  it  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  any  ship ; 
and  he  was  forced  to  retreat  into  the  citadel,  where  the 
angry  Syr-a-cus'ans  came  to  besiege  him. 

Now,  Dion  had  a  great  many  friends,  and,  as  every- 
body knew  that  he  was  truthful  and  well-meaning,  the 
people  all  fought  on  his  side.  He  was  so  strict  with 
himself,  however,  that  he  treated  his  subjects  also  with 
great  rigor,  and  exacted  such  obedience  and  virtue  that 
they  soon  grew  weary  of  his  reign. 

Then,  too,  while  he  was  always  ready  to  reward  the 
good,  Dion  punished  the  wicked  with  such  severity  that 
he  soon  made  many  enemies.  One  of  these  was  the 
courtier  Her-a-cli'des,  who,  instead  of  showing  his  dis- 
like openly,  began  to  plot  against  him  in  secret. 


214 

Dionysius,  besieged  in  the  citadel,  was  in  sore  straits 
by  this  time,  and  almost  dying  of  hunger;  for  the 
Syracusans,  afraid  that  he  would  escape,  had  built  a 
wall  all  around  the  citadel,  and  watched  it  night  and 
day,  to  prevent  any  one  from  going  in  or  out,  or  smug- 
gling in  any  food. 

As  Dionysius  had  no  army,  and  could  not  win  back 
his  throne  by  force,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  do  so,  if 
possible,  by  a  trick.  He  therefore  wrote  a  letter,  in 
which  he  offered  Dion  the  tyranny  in  exchange  for  his 
freedom.  This  message  was  worded  so  cleverly  that  it 
sounded  as  if  Dion  had  asked  to  be  made  tyrant  of 
Syracuse. 


LXXXVI.     DEATH    OF   DION. 

NOW,  after  suffering  so  much  under  Dionysius  and 
his  father,  the  Syracusans  had  learned  to  hate  the 
very  name  of  tyrant;  and  ever  since  Dion  had  come 
into  the  city,  and  taken  the  lead,  they  had  loudly  said 
they  would  never  stand  such  a  ruler  again. 

As  soon  as  the  letter  was  ended,  Dionysius  tied  it 
to  a  stone,  and  threw  it  over  the  wall.  Of  course,  it 
was  carried  to  Dion,  who  read  it  aloud,  little  suspect- 
ing its  contents,  or  the  effect  it  would  produce  upon  his 
followers. 

The  people  began  to  frown  and  look  angry,  and  Hera- 
clides  boldly  seized  this  opportunity  to  poison  their  minds 
against  Dion.     He  urged  them  to  drive  their  new  leader 


215 

out  of  the  city,  and  to  give  the  command  of  the  army 
to  him  instead. 

The  people,  ever  ready  for  a  change,  gladly  listened 
to  this  advice,  and,  after  banishing  Dion,  made  Heracli- 
des  their  chief.  Dionysius  cleverly  managed  to  escape 
from  the  citadel;  and  his  general,  Nyp'sius,  only  then 
becoming  aware  of  the  revolution,  took  his  place  there, 
and  by  a  sudden  sally  won  back  the  greater  part  of 
the  city. 

As  Heraclides  was  taken  by  surprise  at  this  move,  and 
greatly  feared  the  wrath  of  Dionysius,  he  now  wrote  to 
Dion,  begging  him  to  come  back  and  save  those  who 
had  upheld  him. 

The  appeal  was  not  made  in  vain.  Dion  generously 
forgave  the  treachery  of  Heraclides,  and,  marching  into 
the  city  once  more,  drove  Nypsius  back  into  the  citadel, 
where  this  general  died. 

The  people  of  Syracuse  were  ashamed  of  having  so 
suddenly  turned  against  Dion  after  their  first  warm  wel- 
come to  him,  and  they  now  fell  at  his  feet,  begging  his 
pardon,  which  he  freely  granted  to  them  all. 

In  spite  of  this  kindness,  which  they  had  not  deserved, 
Heraclides  and  many  others  went  on  plotting  secretly 
against  Dion,  until  his  friends,  weary  of  such  double 
dealing,  put  Heraclides  to  death. 

Dion  was  sorry  for  this,  reproved  his  friends  for  com- 
mitting such  a  crime,  and  said  that  he  knew  the  Syra- 
cusans  would  in  time  lay  the  murder  at  his  door,  and 
try  to  punish  him  for  it. 

He  was  right  in  thinking  thus,  for  the  friends  of  Hera- 
clides soon  began  plotting  against  him ;  and,  entering  his 


2l6 


country    house    one   day   when    he   was   alone,  they   fell 
upon  him  and  killed  him. 

As  soon  as  Dionysius  heard  that  Dion  was  dead,  he 
hastened  back  to  Syracuse,  where  he  ruled  more  cruelly 
than  ever,  and  put  so  many  people  to  death  that  the  citi- 
zens rose  up  against  him  once  more.  With  the  help  of 
a  Co-rin'thi-an  army,  they  then  freed  their  city,  and  sent 


The  people  all  hooted. 

Dionysius  to  Corinth,  where 
he  was  forced  to  earn  his  liv- 
ing by  teaching  school. 
As  Dionysius  was  a  cross  and  unkind  teacher,  the 
children  would  neither  love  nor  obey  him ;  and  when- 
ever he  passed  down  the  street,  clad  in  a  rough  mantle 
instead  of  a  jewel-covered  robe,  the  people  all  hooted, 
and  made  great  fun  of  him. 


217 


LXXXVII.     PHILIP   OF    MACEDON. 

IN  the  days  when  Thebes  was  the  strongest  city  in 
Greece,  and  when  Epaminondas  was  the  leader  in  his 
native  country,  he  received  in  his  house  a  young  Mac-e-do'- 
ni-an  prince  called  Philip.  This  young  man  had  been  sent 
to  Greece  as  a  hostage,  and  was  brought  up  under  the  eye 
of  Epaminondas.  The  Theban  hero  got  the  best  teachers 
for  Philip,  who  was  thus  trained  with  great  care,  and  be- 
came not  only  quite  learned,  but  also  brave  and  strong. 

Mac'e-don,  Philip's  country,  was  north  of  Greece,  and  its 
rulers  spoke  Greek  and  were  of  Greek  descent;  but,  as 
the  people  of  Macedon  were  not  of  the  same  race,  the 
Greeks  did  not  like  them,  and  never  allowed  them  to 
send  any  one  to  the  Amphictyonic  Council. 

Two  years  after  the  battle  of  Mantinea,  when  Philip 
was  eighteen  years  old,  he  suddenly  learned  that  the 
king,  his  brother,  was  dead,  and  had  left  an  infant  to 
take  his  place.  Philip  knew  that  a  child  could  not  gov- 
ern: so  he  escaped  from  Thebes,  where  he  was  not  very 
closely  watched,  and  made  his  way  to  Macedon. 

Arriving  there,  he  offered  to  rule  in  his  little  nephew's 
stead.  The  people  were  very  glad  indeed  to  accept  his 
services ;  and  when  they  found  that  the  child  was  only 
half-witted,  they  formally  offered  the  crown  of  Macedon 
to  Philip. 

Now,  although  Macedon  was  a  very  small  country, 
Philip  no  sooner  became  king  than  he  made  up  his  mind 
to  place  it  at  the  head  of  all  the  Greek  states,  and 
make  it  the  foremost  kingdom  of  the  world. 


218 


This  was  a  very  ambitious  plan ;  and  in  order  to  carry 
it  out,  Philip  knew  that  he  would  need  a  good  army. 
He  therefore  began  to  train  his  men,  and,  remembering 
how  successful  Epaminondas  had  been,  he  taught  them 
to  fight  as  the  Thebans  had  fought  at  Leuctra  and 
Mantinea. 

Then,  instead  of  drawing  up  his  soldiers  in  one  long 
line  of  battle,  he  formed  them  into  a  solid  body,  —  an  ar- 
rangement which  soon  became  known  as  the  Macedonian 
phalanx. 

Each  soldier  in  the  phalanx  had  a  large  shield,  and 
carried  a  spear.  As  soon  as  the  signal  for  battle  was 
given,  the  men  locked  their  shields  together  so  as  to 
form  a  wall,  and  stood  in  ranks  one  behind  the  other. 

The  first  row  of  soldiers  had  short  spears,  and  the 
fourth  and  last  rows  very  long  ones.  The  weapons  of 
the  other  rows  were  of  medium  length,  so  that  they  all 
stuck  out  beyond  the  first  soldiers,  and  formed  a  bristling 
array  of  points  which  no  one  dared  meet. 

Philip  not  only  trained  his  army  so  as  to  have  well- 
drilled  soldiers  ready,  but  also  found  and  began  to  work 
some  gold  mines  in  his  kingdom.  As  they  yielded  much 
precious  metal,  he  soon  became  one  of  the  richest  men 
of  his  time. 

This  wealth  proved  very  useful,  for  it  helped  him  to 
hire  a  great  force  of  soldiers,  and  also  to  buy  up  a 
number  of  allies.  In  fact,  Philip  soon  found  that  his 
gold  was  even  more  useful  than  his  army,  and  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  saying  that  "  a  fortress  can  always  be 
taken  if  only  a  mule  laden  with  gold  can  be  got  inside." 

Philip   was    so  kind    and    just   that  he    soon  won  the 


219 

love  of  all  his  subjects.  It  is  said  that  he  listened  to 
the  complaints  of  the  poor  and  humble  with  as  much 
patience  as  to  those  of  his  noblest  courtiers. 

Once,  after  dining  heavily  and  drinking  too  much, 
Philip  was  suddenly  called  upon  to  try  the  case  of  a 
poor  widow.  As  the  king's  head  was  not  very  clear,  he 
was  not  able  to  judge  as  well  as  usual :  so  he  soon  said 
that  she  was  in  the  wrong,  and  should  be  punished. 

The  woman,  who  knew  that  she  was  right,  was  very 
angry ;  and,  as  the  guards  were  dragging  her  away,  she 
daringly  cried,  "  I  appeal !  " 

"  Appeal  ? "  asked  Philip,  in  a  mocking  tone,  "  and 
to  whom  ?  " 

"  I  appeal  from  Philip  drunk  to  Philip  sober  !  " 
replied  the  woman. 

These  words  made  such  an  impression  upon  Philip, 
that  he  said  he  would  try  the  case  again  on  the  next 
day,  when  his  head  was  quite  clear.  He  did  not  forget 
his  promise  on  the  morrow ;  and  when  he  found  that 
the  woman  was  right,  he  punished  her  accuser,  and  set 
her  free. 


3»iC 


LXXXVIII.     PHILIP   BEGINS   HIS   CONQUESTS. 

AS  we  have  already  seen,  when  Philip  found  himself 
in  the  wrong,  he  was  not  afraid  to  admit  his  mis- 
take, and  to  try  to  do  better.  He  was  also  very  patient 
and  forgiving.  On  one  occasion  he  heard  that  a  man 
named  Ni-ca'nor  was  always  speaking  ill  of  him. 


220 


He  therefore  sent  for  the  man,  who  came  in  fear 
and  trembling,  thinking  that  the  king  would  either  im- 
prison or  slay  him.  Philip,  however,  received  him  kindly, 
made  him  sit  at  his  own  table,  and  let  him  go  only  after 
giving  him  many  rich  gifts.  As  the  king  had  not  found 
fault  with  him  in  any  way,  Nicanor  was  greatly  sur- 
prised, and  vowed  that  he  would  not  speak  another  word 
against  so  generous  a  man. 

As  soon  as  Philip  had  made  sure  of  his  authority 
at  home,  drilled  his  army,  and  piled  up  enough  gold, 
he  began  to  carry  out  his  bold  plans.  First  of  all,  he 
wished  to  subdue  a  few  of  his  most  unruly  neighbors, 
such  as  the  Thracians  and  O-lyn'thi-ans. 

An  archer  named  As'ter  came  to  him  just  before 
he  began  this  war.  This  man  offered  his  help  to  the 
king,  and  began  to  boast  how  well  he  could  shoot. 
Philip,  who  believed  only  in  spears  for  fighting,  sent  the 
man  away,  after  saying  that  he  would  call  for  his  help 
when  he  began  to  war  against  starlings  and  other  birds. 

This  answer  made  Aster  so  angry  that  he  went  over 
to  the  enemy  and  enlisted  in  their  ranks.  Philip  soon 
came  to  besiege  the  city  where  Aster  was  stationed ; 
and  as  soon  as  the  archer  heard  of  it,  he  got  an  arrow 
upon  which  he  wrote,  "To  Philip's  left  eye." 

Aster  then  went  up  on  the  wall,  took  careful  aim,  and 
actually  put  out  the  king's  left  eye.  Philip  was  so 
angry  when  he  heard  of  the  writing  on  the  arrow,  that 
he  ordered  another  shot  into  the  city.  On  this  arrow 
was  written,  "  If  Philip  takes  the  city,  he  will  hang 
Aster." 

The  city  was  taken,  and  the  archer  hung;  for   Philip 


221 


always  prided  himself  upon  keeping  promises  of  this 
kind.  The  Olynthians,  finding  that  they  would  not  be 
able  to  resist  long,  now  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Athenians, 
begging  them  to  come  to  their  rescue. 

The  Athenians  read  the  letter  in  the  public  square, 
so  that  every  one  could  hear  it,  and  then  began  to  dis- 
cuss whether  they  should  send  any  help.  As  was  always 
the  case,  some  were  for,  and  others  against,  the  plan, 
and  there  was  much  talking.  Among  the  best  speakers 
of  the  city  was  the  orator  De-mos'the-nes,  a  very  clear- 
sighted man,  who  suspected  Philip's  designs.  He  there- 
fore warmly  advised  the  Athenians  to  do  all  they  could 
to  oppose  the  Macedonian  king,  so  as  to  prevent  his 
ever  getting  a  foothold  in  Greece.  Indeed,  he  spoke 
so  eloquently  and  severely  against  Philip,  and  told  the 
people  so  plainly  that  the  king  was  already  plotting  to 
harm  them,  that  violent  speeches  directed  against  any 
one  have  ever  since  been  called  "  Philippics,"  like  these 
orations  against  the  King  of  Macedon. 


&KC 


LXXXIX.     THE    ORATOR   DEMOSTHENES. 

AS  you  have  seen  in  the  last  chapter,  Philip  had  one 
great  enemy  in  Greece,  the  orator  Demosthenes.  He 
had  distrusted  Philip  from  the  very  first,  and  had  kept 
warning  the  Athenians  that  the  King  of  Macedon  was 
very  ambitious,  and  would  soon  try  to  become  master 
of  all  Greece.  When  the  Olynthians  asked  for  aid,  he 
had  warmly  urged  the  Athenians  to  give  it,  saying  that 


222 


they  ought  to  bring  on  the  conflict  with  Philip  as  soon 
as  possible,  so  that  the  fighting  might  be  done  outside 
of  Greece.  In  spite  of  his  good  arguments,  however, 
Demosthenes  failed. 

Philip   took    not    only    O-lyn'thus,   but    all    the    towns 
which     formed     the     Olynthian 
union,    and    destroyed    them    so 
completely    that    a     few     years 
later    one    could    not    even 
find  out  where   these    once 
prosperous  cities  had  been. 
Demosthenes  made  three 
very  fine  speeches  in  favor 
of    the    Olynthians,    and 
several      against     Philip. 
These  were  written  down, 
and  have  been  translated 
time  and  again.    You  may 
some  day  read  and  admire 
them  for  yourselves. 

Of  course,  when  Philip 
heard  of  Demosthenes' 
speeches,  he  was  very  an- 
gry; but  he  thought  that 
his  gold  could  do  won- 
ders, so  he  sent  a  beauti- 
ful cup  of  that  precious 
metal  to  the  orator.  The 
gift  was  accepted;  still 
Demosthenes,  instead  of  remaining  silent  as  Philip  had 
expected,  went  on  talking  against  him  as  openly  as  before. 


Demosthenes. 


223 

As  Demosthenes  was  such  a  great  man,  you  will  like 
to  hear  how  he  learned  to  speak  so  well.  He  was  an 
orphan,  but  very  ambitious  indeed.  He  saw  how  eagerly 
the  Athenians  listened  to  the  best  speakers,  and  he 
thought  that  he  too  would  like  to  become  an  orator. 

Unfortunately,  he  could  not  talk  very  plainly,  and 
instead  of  listening  to  him,  even  his  playmates  made 
fun  of  him.  But  instead  of  crying,  sulking,  or  getting 
angry,  Demosthenes  sensibly  made  up  his  mind  to  learn 
how  to  speak  so  well  that  they  could  no  longer  laugh 
at  him.  He  therefore  learned  a  great  deal  of  poetry, 
which  he  recited  daily  as  distinctly  as  possible.  To  be 
able  to  do  this  without  attracting  any  attention,  he  used 
to  go  down  to  a  lonely  spot  on  the  seashore,  where  he 
would  put  some  pebbles  in  his  mouth,  and  then  try  to 
recite  so  loud  that  his  voice  could  be  heard  above  the 
noise  of  the  waves. 

To  make  his  lungs  strong,  he  used  to  walk  and  run 
up  hill,  reciting  as  he  went;  and,  in  order  to  form  a 
pleasant  style,  he  copied  nine  times  the  works  of  the 
great  Greek  historian  Thu-cyd'i-des. 

When  a  young  man,  he  shut  himself  up  in  the  house 
to  study  hard.  Then,  as  he  was  afraid  of  being  tempted 
to  go  out  and  amuse  himself,  he  shaved  one  side  of  his 
head,  and  let  the  hair  grow  long  on  the  other. 

You  see,  he  was  bound  to  succeed,  and  his  constant 
trying  was  duly  rewarded,  as  it  always  is.  He  became 
learned,  eloquent,  and  energetic ;  and  whenever  he  rose 
to  speak  in  the  public  places  of  Athens,  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  admiring  crowd,  who  listened  open- 
mouthed  to  all  he  said. 


224 

The  Athenians  were  too  lazy  at  this  time,  however, 
to  bestir  themselves  very  much,  even  for  their  own  good. 
So,  in  spite  of  all  that  Demosthenes  could  say,  they  did 
not  offer  any  great  resistance  to  Philip,  who  little  by  little 
became  a  very  powerful  king. 


3jO<C 


XC.     PHILIP   MASTERS   GREECE. 

WHEN  Philip  had  entirely  subdued  the  Thracians 
and  Olynthians,  he  helped  the  Thessalians  to 
get  rid  of  their  tyrant;  and,  adding  their  cavalry  to  his 
infantry,  he  boasted  of  as  fine  an  army  as  the  Greeks 
had  ever  been  able  to  muster.  He  was  very  anxious 
to  find  a  pretext  to  march  into  Greece  at  the  head  of 
this  force,  because  he  thought  that,  once  there,  he  would 
soon  manage  to  become  master  of  all  the  towns.  And 
the  excuse  for  which  he  longed  so  much  soon  came. 

A  contest  known  as  the  Sacred  War  was  going  on  in 
Greece  at  that  time.  It  had  arisen  because  the  Pho'cians 
had  taken  possession  of  lands  that  were  left  waste  in 
honor  of  the  god  Apollo.  The  Amphictyonic  Council 
said  they  should  pay  a  fine  for  this  offense ;  and  the 
Phocians,  angry  at  being  thus  publicly  reproved,  defied 
the  council. 

To .  show  how  little  they  intended  to  obey,  they  not 
only  kept  the  land  they  had  taken,  but  robbed  the  temple 
at  Delphi.  Then  they  used  the  money  thus  obtained 
to  win  over  some  allies,  and  soon  began  to  make  war 
against  the  people  who  obeyed  the  council. 


225 

The  loyal  Greeks  fought  against  the  Phocians  for  a 
long  time,  but  were  unable  to  conquer  them :  so  Philip 
proposed  to  come  and  help  the  council.  In  their 
anxiety  to  win  in  this  war,  the  Greeks  gladly  allowed 
him  to  bring  his  army  into  their  country,  and  he  soon 
completely  subdued  the  rebels. 

In  reward  for  his  help,  Philip  was  made  president 
of  the  council,  —  a  position  he  had  long  coveted,  —  and 
leader  of  the  Pyth'i-an  games  held  in  honor  of  Apollo. 

When  the  war  was  ended,  Philip  quietly  went  back 
to  Macedon.  He  was,  however,  merely  waiting  for  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  reenter  Greece,  and  punish  the 
Athenians  for  listening  to  Demosthenes'  speeches  against 
him. 

In  the  mean  while,  Philip's  gold  had  been  very  busy, 
and  he  was  buying  up  as  many  friends  and  allies  as  he 
could.  Many  of  his  gifts  had  the  desired  effect,  and 
were  not  like  the  gold  cup  which  he  sent  to  Demos- 
thenes. This,  you  know,  had  wholly  failed  in  its  pur- 
pose, for  the  orator  went  on  talking  more  eloquently 
than  ever  against  the  Macedonian  king. 

He  finally  roused  the  Athenians  to  the  point  of  arm- 
ing to  meet  Philip,  when  they  heard  that  he  was  really 
coming  at  last  to  make  himself  master  of  Greece.  Their 
allies,  the  Thebans,  joined  them;  and  the  two  armies 
met  at  Chaer-o-ne'a,  in  Bceotia,  where  a  terrible  battle 
was  fought. 

Demosthenes  had  joined  the  army;  but  as  he  was  no 
soldier,  and  was  not  very  brave,  he  fled  at  the  very  first 
onset.  Dashing  through  the  bushes,  he  was  suddenly 
stopped  by  some  spiky  branches  that  caught  in  his  cloak 

CTO.   OF  GR.  —  15 


226 


and  held  him  fast.  The  orator  was  so  frightened  that 
he  thought  the  enemy  had  captured  him,  and,  falling 
upon  his  knees,  he  began  to  beg  that  his  life  might 
be  spared. 

While  Demosthenes  was  thus  flying  madly,  his  friends 
and  fellow-citizens  were  bravely  meeting  the  Macedo- 
nians ;  but,  in  spjte  of  all  their  courage,  they  were  soon 
forced  to  yield  to  the  Macedonian  phalanx,  and  the  battle- 
field was  left  strewn  wich  their  dead. 

Alexander,  Philip's  son,  who  was  then  only  eighteen 
years  of  age,  commanded  one  wing  of  his  father's  army, 
and  had  the  glory  of  completely  crushing  the  Sacred 
Battalion  of  the  Thebans,  which  had  never  before  been 
beaten. 

This  brilliant  victory  at  Chaeronea  made  Philip  really 
master  of  all  Greece ;  but  he  generously  refrained  from 
making  the  Athenians  recognize  him  openly  as  their 
lord,  although  he  made  their  government  do  whatever 
he  pleased. 

As  Greece  was  now  obedient  to  him,  the  ambitious 
Philip  began  to  plan  the  conquest  of  Asia  and  the  down- 
fall of  the  Persian  Empire.  To  get  as  large  an  army  as 
possible,  he  invited  all  the  Greeks  to  join  him,  artfully 
reminding  them  of  all  they  had  suffered  at  the  hands  of 
the  Persians  in  the  past. 

His  preparations  were  nearly  finished,  and  he  was  on 
the  point  of  starting  for  Asia,  when  he  was  murdered  by 
Pausanias,  one  of  his  subjects,  whom  he  had  treated 
very  unkindly. 


22J 


XCI.     BIRTH   OF  ALEXANDER. 

WHEN  Philip  died,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  sod 
Alexander,  a  young  man  of  twenty,  who  had 
already  earned  a  good  name  by  leading  part  of  the  army 
at  the  battle  of  Chasronea.  His  efforts,  as  you  know,  had 
defeated  the  Sacred  Battalion  of  the  Thebans,  and  helped 
much  to  secure  the  victory. 

Through  his  mother,  O-lym'pi-as,  Alexander  was  a 
descendant  of  Achilles,  the  well-known  hero  of  the  Trojan 
War.  He  was  born  at  Pel'la,  a  city  of  Macedon,  three 
hundred  and  rifty-six  years  before  Christ.  His  father 
was  so  pleased  to  have  a  son,  that  he  said  that  all  the 
boys  born  in  his  kingdom  on  the  same  day  should  be 
brought  up  with  Alexander  in  the  palace,  and  become 
his  bodyguard. 

Thus  you  see  the  young  prince  had  plenty  of  play- 
mates ;  and,  as  there  was  nothing  he  liked  better  than 
fighting,  he  soon  began  to  play  soldiers,  and  to  train  his 
little  regiment. 

From  the  very  first,  the  Macedonians  had  declared  that 
Alexander  was  born  to  greatness,  and  several  noted  events 
that  took  place  on  the  day  of  his  birth  served  to  con- 
firm this  belief.  ' 

In  the  first  place,  Par-me'ni-o,  Philip's  general,  won  a 
grand  victory  on  that  day ;  then  Philip's  horses,  which 
had  been  sent  to  Olympia,  got  the  prize  at  the  chariot 
races ;  and,  lastly,  the  famous  temple  at  Ephesus,  dedi- 
cated to  Diana,  was  burned  to  the  ground. 

The  first  two  events  were  joyful  in  the  extreme ;   but 


228 


the  burning  of  this  temple,  which  was  among  the  won- 
ders of  the  world,  was  a  great  calamity.  Every  one  was 
anxious  to  know  how  it  had  happened ;  and  all  were  very 
angry  when  they  found  out  that  it  was  not  an  accident, 
but  had  been  done  on  purpose. 

The  man  who  had  set  fire  to  it  was  crazy.  His  name 
was  E-ros'tra-tus ;  and  when  he  was  asked  why  he  had 
done  such  a  wicked  thing,  he  said  that  it  was  only  to 
make  his  name  immortal.  The  people  were  so  indignant, 
that  they  not  only  condemned  him  to  die,  but  forbade 
all  mention  of  his  name,  hoping  that  it  would  be  for- 
gotten. 

In  spite  of  this  care,  Erostratus'  name  has  come  down 
to  us.  It  is  immortal  indeed,  but  who  except  a  crazy  man 
would  wish  to  win  such  fame,  and  could  bear  to  think 
that  all  who  ever  heard  of  him  would  condemn  his 
action,  and  consider  him  as  wicked  as  he  was  insane? 

Alexander  was  first  given  over  to  the  care  of  a  nurse. 
He  loved  her  dearly  as  long  as  he  lived,  and  her  son 
Cly'tus  was  always  one  of  his  best  friends  and  most 
faithful  comrades. 

As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough,  Alexander  began  to 
learn  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey  by  heart;  and  he  loved  to 
hear  about  the  principal  heroes,  and  especially  about  his 
own  ancestor,  Achilles. 

He  admired  these  poems  so  much  that  he  carried  a 
copy  of  them  with  him  wherever  he  went,  and  always 
slept  with  it  under  his  pillow.  Both  the  Iliad  and  the 
Odyssey  were  kept  in  a  box  of  the  finest  gold,  because 
Alexander  thought  nothing  was  too  good  for  them. 


229 


XCII.     THE   STEED    BUCEPHALUS. 

WHEN  only  thirteen  years  of  age,  Alexander  once 
saw  some  horsedealers  bringing  a  beautiful  steed 
before  the  king.  The  animal  had  a  white  spot  on  his 
nose  shaped  somewhat  like  the  head  of  an  ox,  and  on 
this  account  was  named  Bu-ceph'a-lus,  which  means  "  ox- 
head." 

Philip  admired  the  horse  greatly,  and  bade  the  grooms 
try  him,  to  see  if  his  gait  was  good.  One  after  another 
mounted,  only  to  be  thrown  a  few  minutes  later  by  the 
fiery,  restless  steed,  which  was  becoming  very  much  ex- 
cited. 

The  horse  seemed  so  skittish  that  Philip  finally  told 
the  men  to  lead  him  away,  adding  that- a  man  would  be 
foolish  to  purchase  such  a  useless  animal.  Alexander 
then  stepped  forward  and  begged  permission  to  try  him. 

His  father  first  made  fun  of  him  for  asking  to  mount 
a  horse  which  none  of  the  grooms  could  manage;  but, 
as  Alexander  persisted  in  his  wish,  he  was  finally  allowed 
to  make  the  attempt. 

The  young  prince  then  quietly  walked  up  to  the  ex- 
cited horse,  took  the  bridle,  held  it  firmly,  and  began  to 
speak  gently  and  pat  the  steed's  arched  neck.  After  a 
moment,  Alexander  led  Bucephalus  forward  a  few  steps, 
and  then  turned  him  around,  for  he  had  noticed  that 
the  horse  was  frightened  by  his  shadow/ 

Then,  when  the  shadow  lay  where  he  could  not  see  it, 
and  where  it  could  no  longer  frighten  him,  the  young  man 
dropped  his  cloak  quietly,  and  vaulted  upon  the  horse's 


231 

back.  Once  more  Bucephalus  reared,-  pranced,  kicked, 
and  ran ;  but  Alexander  sat  firmly  on  his  back,  spoke  to 
him  gently,  and,  making  no  effort  to  hold  him  in,  let 
him  speed  across  the  plain. 

In  a  few  moments  the  horse's  wildness  was  over,  and 
Alexander  could  ride  back  to  his  proud  father,  sitting 
upon  a  steed  which  obeyed  his  slightest  touch. 

Philip  was  so  delighted  with  the  coolness,  courage, 
and  good  horsemanship  that  Alexander  had  shown  on 
this  occasion,  that  he  made  him  a  present  of  the  steed. 
Bucephalus  became  Alexander's  favorite  mount,  and, 
while  he  would  allow  no  one  else  to  ride  him,  he 
obeyed  his  master  perfectly. 

Although  most  young  men  began  the  study  of  philos- 
ophy only  at  sixteen,  Alexander  was  placed  under  the 
tuition  of  Ar'is-totle  soon  after  his  first  ride  on  Buceph- 
alus. This  philosopher  was  a  pupil  of  Plato.  He  was 
so  learned  and  well  known,  that  Philip,  in  writing  to  him 
to  tell  him  of  Alexander's  birth,  expressed  his  pleasure 
that  the  gods  had  allowed  his  son  to  live  in  the  same 
age  with  so  great  a  teacher. 

Alexander  loved  Aristotle  dearly,  and  willingly  learned 
all  that  was  required  of  him.  He  often  said  that  he 
was  very  grateful,  for  this  philosopher  had  taught  him 
all  the  good  he  knew.  Alexander's  remarkable  coolness, 
judgment,  and  perseverance  were  largely  owing  to  his 
teacher,  and,  had  he  always  followed  Aristotle's  advice, 
he  would  have  been  truly  great. 

But  although  Alexander  did  not  always  practice  the 
virtues  which  Aristotle  had  tried  to  teach  him,  he  never 
forgot  his  old  tutor.     He  gave  him  large  sums  of  money, 


232 

so  that  the  philosopher  could  continue  his  studies,  and 
find  out  new  things;  and  during  his  journeys  he  always 
sent  him  complete  collections  of  the  animals  and  plants 
of  the  regions  he  visited. 


:£*SC 


XCIII.     ALEXANDER   AS   KING. 

PHILIP,  King  of  Macedon,  as  we  have  seen,  had  one 
great  fault.  He  drank ;  and  often  his  reason  was 
clouded,  and  his  step  unsteady.  Now,  it  is  impossible 
to  respect  a  man  who  is  drunk,  and  everybody  used  to 
make  fun  of  Philip  when  he  was  in  that  state. 

Even  Alexander,  his  own  son,  felt  great  contempt  for 
him  when  he  thus  disgraced  himself;  and  once  when  he 
saw  his  father  stagger  and  fall  after  one  of  his  orgies, 
he  scornfully  exclaimed,  "  See !  here  is  a  man  who  is 
getting  ready  to  cross  from  Europe  to  Asia,  and  yet  he 
cannot  step  safely  from  one  couch  to  another." 

Alexander,  we  are  told,  was  greatly  displeased  by  his 
father's  conquests,  and  once  angrily  cried  that  if  Philip 
really  beat  the  Persians,  and  took  possession  of  Asia, 
there  would  be  nothing  left  for  him  to  do. 

You  may  readily  imagine,  therefore,  that  he  was  not 
very  sorry  when  his  father  died  before  the  expedition 
could  be  undertaken ;  for  he  thus  became,  at  twenty, 
master  of  an  immense  army  and  of  great  riches,  and 
head  of  all  the  Greek  cities,  which  were  then  the  finest 
in  the  world. 

The  news   of   Philip's  death  was  received  with  great 


233 

joy  by  the  Athenians  also,  who  thought  they  would  now 
be  free.  Demosthenes,  in  particular,  was  so  glad  to  be 
rid  of  his  hated  foe,  that  he  ran  all  through  the  city 
with  a  crown  of  flowers  on  his  head,  shaking  hands 
with  everybody  he  met,  and  shouting  his  congratula- 
tions. 

His  joy  was  so  great,  because  he  and  all  his  fellow- 
citizens  fancied  that  a  mere  boy  like  Alexander  would 
never  be  able  to  hold  his  own,  and  because  they  hoped 
to  become  again  the  leading  people  of  Greece. 

The  Thracians,  who  also  thought  that  Alexander  would 
not  be  able  to  carry  out  his  father's  plans,  now  re- 
volted, and  the  young  king  was  obliged  to  begin  his 
reign  by  marching  against  them. 

Three  months  passed.  The  Greeks  heard  no  news  of 
Alexander  or  of  his  army,  and  fancied  that  he  had  been 
defeated  and  killed.  The  Thebans,  thinking  the  right 
moment  had  come,  suddenly  rose  up,  and  said  that  they 
would  never  again  submit  to  the  Macedonian  yoke,  but 
would  stay  free. 

They  soon  had  cause  to  repent  of  this  rash  talk. 
Alexander  was  hot  dead,  but  had  conquered  the  Thracians 
completely.  Without  stopping  to  rest,  he  now  marched 
straight  down  into  Bceotia,  and  besieged  and  took  Thebes. 
All  the  inhabitants  were  either  slain  or  sold  into  slavery, 
the  walls  torn  down,  and  not  a  single  building  was  left 
standing,  except  the  house  of  Pin'dar,  a  Greek  poet, 
whose  songs  Alexander  had  always  admired. 

The  other  Greek  cities,  frightened  by  the  terrible  pun- 
ishment of  Thebes,  sent  messengers  to  the  young  king, 
offering  not  only  to  obey  him  as  their  chief,  but  also  to 


234 

supply  all  the  men,  money,  and  stores  he  wished  for  the 
expedition  to  Asia.  Alexander  graciously  accepted  all 
these  proposals,  and  then  marched  southward  as  far  as 
Corinth. 

<x>?»;o<> 

XCIV.     ALEXANDER   AND    DIOGENES. 

EVERYBODY  bowed  down  before  Alexander,  and  all 
looked  at  him  with  awe  and  respect,  as  he  made 
his  triumphant  progress  through  Greece,  —  all  except 
the  sage  Di-og'e-nes. 

This  man  belonged  to  a  class  of  philosophers  who 
were  called  "cynics,"  which  means  "doglike,"  because, 
as  some  say,  they  did  not  care  for  the  usual  comforts 
of  life. 

It  is  said  that  Diogenes,  the  principal  philosopher  of 
this  kind,  chose  as  his  home  a  great  earthenware  tub  near 
the  Temple  of  Ce'res.  He  wore  a  rough  woolen  cloak, 
summer  and  winter,  as  his  only  garment,  and  ate  all  his 
food  raw.  His  only  utensil  was  a  wooden  bowl,  out  of 
which  he  drank. 

One  day,  however,  he  saw  a  child  drinking  out  of  its 
hollow  palm.  Diogenes  immediately  threw  away  the 
bowl,  saying  he  could  do  without  luxury  as  well  as  the 
child;   and  he  drank  henceforth  from  his  hand. 

As  you  see,  Diogenes  was  a  very  strange  man.  He 
prided  himself  upon  always  telling  the  truth,  and  upon 
treating  all  men  alike.  Some  of  his  disciples  once  met 
him  wandering  about  the  streets  with  a  lantern,  anx- 
iously peering  into  every  nook  and   corner^  and  staring 


235 

fixedly  at  every  person  he  met.  When  asked  what  he 
was  looking  for  so  carefully,  yet  apparently  with  so  little 
hope,  he  bluntly  answered,  "An  honest  man." 

Alexander  had  heard  of  this  queer  philosopher,  and 
was  anxious  to  see  him.  He  therefore  went  to  the  Temple 
of  Ceres,  escorted  by  all  his  courtiers,  on  purpose  to  visit 
him.  Diogenes  was  lying  on  the  ground  in  front  of  his 
tub,  warming  himself  in  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

Alexander,  drawing  near,  stood  between  the  philosopher 
and  the  sun,  and  tried  to  begin  a  conversation ;  but 
Diogenes  gave  surly  answers,  and  seemed  to  pay  little 
heed  to  his  visitor. 

At  last  the  young  king  proudly  remarked,  "  I  am 
Alexander  the  king  !  " 

"And  I,"  replied  the  philosopher  in  exactly  the  same 
tone,  "  am  Diogenes  the  cynic  !  " 

As  he  could  win  nothing  but  short  or  rude  answers, 
Alexander  was  about  to  go  away,  but  he  first  asked  the 
sage  if  there  was  anything  he  could  do  for  him.  "Yes," 
snapped  Diogenes;  "stand  out  of  my  sunshine!" 

The  courtiers  were  shocked  at  this  insolent  behavior, 
and  began  to  talk  of  the  philosopher  in  a  scornful  tone 
as  they  were  moving  away.  Alexander,  overhearing  them, 
soon  stopped  them  by  saying,  "If  I  were  not  Alexander, 
I  should  like  to  be  Diogenes." 

By  this  remark  he  wished  them  to  understand,  that,  if 
he  could  not  be  master  of  all  earthly  things,  he  would 
rather  despise  them. 

Strange  to  relate,  Alexander  the  king,  and  Diogenes  the 
cynic,  died  on  the  same  night,  and  from  the  same  cause. 
Diogenes  died  in  his  tub,  after  a  too  plentiful  supper  from . 


236 

the  raw  leg  of  an  ox;  while  Alexander  breathed  his  last 
in  a  Bab-y-lo'ni-an  palace,  after  having  eaten  and  drunk 
to  excess  at  a  rich  banquet. 


&Kc 


XCV.     ALEXANDER'S  BRILLIANT  BEGINNING. 

AS  soon  as  the  Greek  states  had  all  been  brought  to 
a  proper  state  of  obedience,  Alexander  prepared  to 
conquer  Persia,  although  he  had  a  force  of  only  34,500 
men.  These  men  were  very  well  trained,  however,  and 
promised  to  be  more  powerful  on  the  battlefield  than 
the  million  warriors  of  Xerxes. 

In  his  joy  at  departing,  Alexander  made  rich  presents 
to  everybody,  until  one  of  his  advisers  modestly  reminded 
him  that  his  treasure  was  not  boundless,  and  asked  him 
what  he  would  have  left  when  he  had  given  away  all 
he  owned. 

"  My  hopes ! "  answered  Alexander  proudly,  for  he 
expected  to  conquer  not  only  Persia  and  Asia  Minor, 
but  all  the  known  world. 

While  his  army  slowly  made  its  way  along  the  coast 
and  across  the  Hellespont,  Alexander,  attended  by  only 
a  few  followers,  sailed  straight  for  Troy,  the-  ancient 
Asiatic  city. 

He  landed  on  the  desert  plain  where  the  proud  city 
had  once  stood,  visited  all  the  scenes  of  the  mighty 
conflict,  and  offered  sacrifices  on  the  tomb  of  Achilles, 
while  his  friend  He-phaes'ti-on  did  the  same  on  that  of 
Patroclus. 


237 

When  this  pious  pilgrimage  to  the  tomb  of  his  ancestor 
was  over,  Alexander  hastened  to  join  the  army,  for 
he  longed  to  do  like  the  ancient  Greeks,  and  win  a 
glorious  victory. 

His  wishes  were  soon  granted,  for  before  long  he  met 
the  Persian  army  near  the  Gra-ni'cus  River,  where  a 
terrible  battle  was  fought.  Alexander  himself  joined  in 
the  fighting,  and  would  certainly  have  been  killed  had 
not  his  friend  Clytus,  the  son  of  his  old  nurse,  rushed 
to  his  rescue  and  saved  his  life. 

In  spite  of  the  size  of  the  Persian  army,  which  was 
much  larger  than  his  own,  Alexander  won  a  complete 
victory  at  the  Granicus.  Then,  marching  southward,  he 
took  the  cities  of  Sardis  and  Ephesus  without  striking 
another  blow.  These  towns  were  very  rich,  and  offered 
of  their  own  free  will  to  pay  him  the  same  tribute"  that 
they  had  given  to  the  Persians. 

Alexander,  however,  would  not  take  it,  but  bade  them 
use  the  money  to  rebuild  the  Temple  of  Diana,  which 
had  been  burned  to  the  ground  on  the  night  he  was 
born.  As  the  sacred  image  of  the  goddess  had  been 
saved,  the  E-phe'sians  gladly  built  a  second  magnificent 
shrine,  which  was  visited  many  years  later  by  Paul,  the 
disciple  of  Christ. 

From  Sardis  and  Ephesus,  Alexander  marched  on  into 
the  province  of  Ca'ri-a.  Here  the  queen  of  the  country 
warmly  welcomed  him,  adopted  him  as  her  son,  and  even 
proposed  to  give  him  her  best  cooks,  so  that  they  might 
prepare  his  food  for  him  on  the  march. 

Alexander  thanked  her  heartily  for  this  kind  offer,  but 
declined   it,    saying   that   his    tutor   Aristotle    had    given 


238 

him  the  very  best  recipe  for  making  him  relish  his 
meals. 

The  queen,  whose  appetite  was  fanciful,  eagerly  asked 
what  it  was ;  and  Alexander  smilingly  answered,  "  A 
march  before  daybreak  as  the  sauce  for  my  dinner,  and 
a  light  dinner  as  the  sauce  for  my  supper." 

This  was,  as  you  may  see,  a  very  good  recipe  ;  and 
if  Alexander  had  always  remembered  to  be  temperate,  as 
Aristotle  had  advised,  he  would  not  have  died  of  over 
eating  and  drinking  at  the  age  of  thirty-three. 


:>X*4c 


XCVI.     THE   GORDIAN    KNOT. 

ALEXANDER  did  not  stop  long  in  Caria.  Marching 
onward,  he  soon  came  to  the  city  of  Gor'di-um,  in 
Phryg'i-a,  where  Mi'das  had  once  reigned.  In  one  of 
the  temples  the  people  proudly  showed  Alexander  the 
cart  in  which  this  king  rode  as  he  entered  their  city. 

The  yoke  was  fastened  to  the  pole  by  a  rope  tied  in 
a  peculiar  and  very  intricate  knot.  Now,  it  seems  that 
an  ancient  prophecy  had  declared  that  whoever  untied 
the  Gordian  knot  would  »sure!y  be  master  of  all  Asia. 

Of  course,  as  Alexander  had  set  his  heart  upon  con- 
quering the  whole  world,  he  looked  at  this  knot  with 
great  interest ;  but  a  few  moments'  careful  examination 
made  him  feel  sure  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  untie  it. 

Rather  than  give  it  up,  however,  Alexander  drew  his 
sword,  and  cut  it  with  a  single  quick  stroke.  Ever  since 
then,  when  a   person   has   settled  a  difficulty  by  bold  or 


Alexander  cutting  the  Gordian   Knot. 


240 

violent  means  instead  of  patiently  solving  it,  the  custom 
has  been  to  say  that  he  has  "cut  the  Gordian  knot,"  in 
memory  of  this  feat  of  Alexander's. 

From  Gordium,  Alexander  next  passed  on  to  Jar'sus, 
which  also  became  subject  to  him ;  and  shortly  after  that 
the  young  conqueror  nearly  lost  his  life. 

He  had  been  exposed  to  the  hot  sun,  and  had  thus 
become  terribly  overheated,  when  he  came  to  the  river 
Cyd'nus.  This  stream  was  a  torrent  whose  waters  were 
very  cold,  but,  in  spite  of  all  that  his  attendants  could 
say,  Alexander  insisted  upon  taking  a  bath  in  it. 

The  sudden  chill  brought  on  a  cramp,  and  he  would 
have  been  drowned  had  not  some  of  his  people  plunged 
into  the  water,  and  pulled  him  out.  As  it  was,  his  im- 
prudence brought  on  a  serious  illness,  and  for  a  short 
time  Alexander's  life  was  in  great  danger. 

His  physician,  however,  was  Philip,  a  Greek  doctor, 
who  had  attended  him  ever  since  he  was  born,  and  who 
now  took  great  care  of  him.  When  the  fever  was  at 
its  worst,  he  said  he  hoped  to  save  the  king  by  means 
of  a  strong  medicine  which  he  was  going  to  prepare. 

Just  after  Philip  went  out  to  brew  this  potion,  Alex- 
ander received  a  letter  which  warned  him  to  beware  of 
his  physician,  as  the  man  had  been  bribed  by  the  Persian 
king,  Darius  III.,  to  poison  him. 

After  reading  the  letter,  Alexander  slipped  it  under  his 
pillow,  and  calmly  waited  for  the  return  of  his  doctor. 
When  Philip  brought  the  cup  containing  the  promised 
remedy,  Alexander  took  it  in  one  hand,  and  gave  him 
the  letter  with  the  other.  Then,  while  Philip  was  read- 
ing it,  he  drank  every  drop  of  the  medicine. 


241 

When  the  physician  saw  the  accusation,  he  turned 
deadly  pale,  and  looked  up  at  his  master,  who  smilingly 
handed  back  the  empty  cup.  Alexander's  great  trust  in 
his  doctor  was  fully  justified;  for  the  medicine  cured  him, 
and  he  was  soon  able  to  go  on  with  his  conquests. 


:>:**jc 


XCVII.     ALEXANDER'S    ROYAL   CAPTIVES. 

ALEXANDER  was  marching  southward,  and  Darius 
was  hastening  northward  with  a  vast  army,  hoping 
to  meet  him  and  to  prevent  his  advancing  any  farther. 

By  a  singular  chance  it  happened  that  the  two  armies 
missed  each  other,  and  passed  through  separate  defiles 
in  the  same  range  of  mountains.  Alexander  became 
aware  of  this  first,  and  retraced  his  steps  without  delay, 
for   he  was  anxious  to  find  and  defeat  the  enemy. 

The  two  armies  soon  met  at  a  place  called  Is'sus, 
where  the  Persians  were  routed.  Darius  was  forced  to 
flee,  and  his  mother,  wife,  and  family  were  made  cap- 
tives. 

As  soon  as  the  battle  was  over,  Alexander  went  to 
visit  the  royal  ladies  in  their  tent,  to  assure  them  that 
they  would  be  treated  with  all  respect.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  his  friend  Hephaestion,  who  was  somewhat 
taller  and  larger  than  he. 

As  they  entered  the  tent,  in  their  plain  armor,  the 
queen  mother,  Sis-y-gam'bis,  mistook  Hephaestion  for 
the  king,  and  fell  down  upon  her  knees  before  him, 
begging  his  mercy  for  herself   and  her  children.     When 

STO.   OF   GR.  —  1 6 


242 

she  found  out  her  mistake,  she  was  greatly  dismayed ; 
but  Alexander  kindly  reassured  her  by  leaning  upon 
his  friend's  shoulder,  and  saying  of  him,  "  He  is  my  other 
self." 

The  young  conqueror  treated  the  Persian  ladies  with 
the  utmost  kindness,  and  often  visited  them  in  their  own 
tent,  to  talk  for  a  while  with  them.  As  he  always  found 
them  idle,  he  fancied  that  time  must  hang  very  heavily 
upon  their  hands,  and  once  offered  to  have  them  taught 
to  spin  and  weave,  as  the  Greek  ladies  were  wont  to  do. 

At  this  proposal,  Sisygambis  burst  into  tears,  and 
asked  if  he  wished  to  make  slaves  of  them,  for  Persian 
ladies  considered  any  labor  a  disgrace.  Alexander,  see- 
ing her  grief,  hastened  to  comfort  her,  and  tried  to 
explain  how  happy  the  Greek  ladies  always  seemed 
over  their  dainty  work. 

But  when  he  understood  that  the  royal  family  would 
rather  remain  idle,  he  never  again  proposed  to  furnish 
them  with  occupation  of  any  kind.  On  the  contrary, 
he  was  so  gentle  and  respectful,  that  Sisygambis  soon 
learned  to  love  him,  and  used  to  treat  him  like  her  own 
son. 

XCVIII.     ALEXANDER   AT   JERUSALEM. 

DARIUS,  as  we  have  seen,  had  fled  after  the  disas- 
trous battle  of  Issus.  His  terror  was  so  great  that 
he  never  stopped  in  his  flight  until  he  had  reached  the 
other  side  of  the  river  Ti'gris,  where  he  still  believed 
himself  safe. 


243 

Instead  of  going  after  Darius  at  once,  Alexander  first 
went  southward  along  the  coast ;  for  he  thought  it  would 
be  wiser  to  take  all  the  cities  near  the  sea  before  he 
went  farther  inland,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  he  had  no 
enemies  behind  his  back. 

Marching  down  through  Syr'i-a  and  Phce-nic'ia,  Alex- 
ander took  the  cities  of  Da-mas'cus  and  Si'don,  and 
came  at  last  to  Tyre,  a  prosperous  commercial  city  built 
on  an  island  at  a  short  distance  from  the  shore. 

The  Tyr'i-ans  would  not  open  their  gates  and  surren- 
der, so  Alexander  prepared  to  besiege  the  city.  As  he 
had  no  fleet,  he  began  to  build  a  great  causeway  out 
to  the  island. 

This  was  a  very  difficult  piece  of  work,  because  the 
water  was  deep ;  and  while  his  men  were  building  it, 
they  were  greatly  annoyed  by  showers  of  arrows,  stones, 
and  spears  from  the  walls  of  the  city  and  from  the  decks 
of  the  Tyrian  vessels. 

A  storm,  also,  broke  the  causeway  to  pieces  once,  when 
it  was  nearly  finished,  and  the  army  had  to  begin  the 
work  anew.  The  obstinate  resistance  of  Tyre  made 
Alexander  so  angry,  that  he  celebrated  his  final  victory 
by  crucifying  a  large  number  of  the  richest  citizens. 

After  offering  up  a  sacrifice  to  Hercules  on  the  flam- 
ing ruins  of  Tyre,  Alexander  went  on  toward  Je-ru'sa-lem. 
His  plan  was  to  punish  the  Jews,  because  they  had  helped 
his  enemies,  and  had  supplied  the  Tyrians  with  food. 

The  news  of  his  coming  filled  the  hearts  of  the  Jews 
with  terror,  for  they  expected  to  be  treated  with  the  same 
frightful  cruelty  as  the  Tyrians.  In  their  fear  they  knew 
not  whether  to  surrender  or  fight. 


244 

Finally  Jad-du'a,  the  high  priest,  had  a  vision,  in  which 
an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  him,  and  told  him  what 
to  do.  In  obedience  to  this  divine  command,  he  made 
the  Le'vites  put  on  their  festal  garments,  and  then, 
dressed  in  his  priestly  robes,  he  led  them  down  the  hill 
to  meet  the  advancing  conqueror. 

When  Alexander  saw  the  beautiful  procession,  headed 
by  such  a  dignified  old  man,  he  quickly  got  down  from 
his  horse,  knelt  before  Jaddua,  and  worshiped  the  name 
written  on  his  holy  vestments. 

His  officers,  astonished  at  this  unusual  humility,  finally 
asked  him  why  he  did  such  honor  to  a  foreign  priest. 
Then  Alexander  told  them  of  a  vision  he  had  had  before 
leaving  Macedon.  In  it  he  had  beheld  Jaddua,  who  bade 
him  come  over  to  Asia  without  fear,  as  it  was  written 
that  the  Persians  would  be  delivered  into  his  hands. 

Walking  beside  the  aged  Jaddua,  Alexander  entered 
the  holy  city  of  Jerusalem  and  the  courts  of  the  temple. 
Here  he  offered  up  a  sacrifice  to  the  Lord,  and  saw  the 
Books  of  Daniel  and  Zech-a-ri'ah,  in  which  his  coming 
and  conquests  were  all  foretold. 


&Kc 


XCIX.     THE  AFRICAN    DESERT. 

AFTER  staying  a  few  days  in  Jerusalem,  Alexander 
continued  on  his  way  to  Egypt,  which  he  quickly 
conquered  also.  Here  he  founded  a  new  city  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Nile,  and  named  it  Al-ex-an'dri-a,  after 
himself.     It  was  so  favorably  located,  that  it  soon  became 


245 

an  important  town,  and*  has  continued  so  even  till  the 
present  day. 

Then,  having  heard  that  there  was  a  famous  temple  in 
Lib'y-a,  dedicated  to  Jupiter,  Alexander  resolved  to  go 
there  and  visit  it.  The  road  lay  through  an  African 
desert,  and  the  journey  was  very  dangerous  indeed. 

The  soldiers  toiled  painfully  along  over  the  burning 
sand,  in  which  their  feet  sank  up  to  the  ankles.  The 
blazing  African  sun  fell  straight  down  upon  their  heads, 
and  made  them  stagger  and  grow  faint  with  the  heat. 

From  time  to  time  a  hot  wind,  the  simoom,  blew  over 
the  desert,  raising  great  clouds  of  dust,  and  choking 
men  and  horses  as  it  rolled  over  them  like  a  torrent, 
burying  them  under  its  shifting  waves. 

The  horses  died  from  thirst  and  fatigue,  for  such  ani- 
mals are  not  fit  for  travel  in  the  desert.  The  only 
creature  which  can  journey  comfortably  over  the  dreary 
waste  of  the  Sa-ha'ra  is  the  camel,  whose  stomach  is  made 
in  a  peculiar  way,  so  that  it  can  drink  a  large  quantity 
of  water  at  a  time,  and  store  it  up  for  future  use. 

Undaunted  by  fatigue  or  danger,  Alexander  pressed 
onward.  Like  his  soldiers,  he  suffered  from  heat  and 
thirst ;  and  like  them,  too,  he  was  deceived  by  the  mirage. 

This  is  an  optical  effect  due  to  a  peculiar  condition  of 
the  desert  atmosphere.  The  traveler  suddenly  sees  trees, 
grass,  and  running  water,  apparently  a  short  distance 
before  him.  He  hastens  eagerly  forward  to  lie  in  the 
shade,  and  to  plunge  his  hot  face  and  hands  in  the 
refreshing  stream ;  but  when  he  reaches  the  spot  where 
he  saw  water  and  trees,  there  is  nothing  but  sand,  and 
he  sinks  down  exhausted  and  cruelly  disappointed. 


246 

After  enduring  all  these  hardships,  Alexander  arrived 
at  last  at  the  oasis,  or  green  island  in  the  sandy  desert, 
where  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  stood.  The  priests  led  him 
into  the  holy  place,  and,  hoping  to  flatter  him,  called 
him  the  son  of  Jupiter. 

After  resting  for  some  time  in  this  pleasant  spot,  Alex- 
ander and  his  men  again  braved  the  dangers  of  the 
desert,  went  back  to  Alexandria  and  Tyre,  and  from 
there  began  the  long-delayed  pursuit  of  Darius. 

The  Greek  soldiers  had  suffered  so  many  hardships 
since  beginning  the  war,  that  they  were  now  ready  for 
anything.  They  crossed  the  Eu-phra'tes  over  a  hastily 
built  bridge;  then  coming  to  the  Tigris,  where  neither 
bridge  nor  boats  could  be  found,  they  boldly  swam  across 
the  river,  holding  their  shields  over  their  heads  to  pro- 
tect themselves  from  the  arrows  of  the  Persians  who 
stood  on  the  other  bank. 

Alexander  was  always  the  first  to  rush  forward  in 
battle,  and  he  now  led  the  way  across  the  river.  He  was 
longing  to  meet  the  Persians  again,  and  was  very  glad 
to  overtake  them  on  the  other  side  of  the  Tigris. 

Here,  on  the  plains  of  Ar-be'la,  the  third  great  battle 
was  fought,  and  Alexander  won  the  victory.  Darius 
fled  once  more  before  the  conqueror,  while  Alexander 
marched  straight  on  to  Bab'y-lon,  the  most  wonderful 
city  in  the  East. 


247 


C.     DEATH    OF    DARIUS. 

ALEXANDER  soon  won  the  good  will  of  the  Baby- 
lonians by  allowing  them  to  rebuild  the  Temple  of 
Bel,  which  had  been  destroyed.  He  also  secured  the 
affections  of  the  captive  Jews ;  for  he  excused  them  from 
doing  any  work  on  this  building  as  soon  as  he  heard 
that  they  considered  it  the  Tower  of  Babel,  and  hence 
objected  to  aiding  in  its  erection. 

The  young  conqueror  spent  one  month  in  Babylon,  and 
then  went  on  to  Su'sa.  There  he  found  the  brazen  statue 
of  Athene  which  Xerxes  had  carried  off  to  Persia;  and  he 
sent  it  back  to  the  Athenians,  who  received  it  with  much 
joy. 

The  Persian  queen  now  became  very  ill,  and,  in  spite 
of  the  utmost  care,  she  soon  died.  Throughout  her  ill- 
ness, Alexander  was  most  thoughtful  and  attentive;  and 
when  she  died,  he  gave  orders  that  she  should  be  buried 
with  all  the  pomp  due  to  her  high  rank. 

He  also  comforted  the  mourning  Sisygambis,  and  sent 
the  news  of  the  queen's  death  to  Darius,  who  had  fled 
to  the  northern  part  of  his  kingdom,  where  he  was  hastily 
gathering  together  another  army.  Touched  by  Alex- 
ander's conduct,  Darius  now  wrote  to  him,  offering  peace, 
and  proposing  to  share  the  throne  of  Persia  with  him. 

The  young  conqueror's  head  had  been  turned  by  his 
many  victories,  and  he  was  growing  more  haughty  every 
day :  so  he  proudly  refused  this  proposal,  saying  that 
the  world  could  not  have  two  masters  any  more  than 
two  suns. 


248 

In  his  pride,  Alexander  now  assumed  the  dress  and 
state  of  an  Oriental  king,  surrounded  himself  with  luxury, 
and  spent  most  of  his  time  in  feasting  and  revelry.  His 
courtiers  encouraged  him  in  this  folly,  and  he  soon  forgot 
the  wise  lessons  taught  by  Aristotle. 

On  several  occasions  the  young  king  drank  so  much 
that  he  did  not  know  what  he  was  doing;  and  once,  in 
a  fit  of  drunken  rage,  he  set  fire  to  the  beautiful  palace 
of  Per-sep'o-lis,  and  burned  it  to  the  ground. 

As  he  had  refused  Darius'  offers  of  peace,  he  soon 
considered  it  necessary  to  continue  the  war  :  so,  laying 
aside  his  jeweled  robes,  he  put  on  his  armor  and  set 
out  for  the  north.  He  was  about  to  overtake  the  Per- 
sian king,  when  Darius  was  mortally  wounded  by  one 
of  his  followers  named  Bes'sus. 

The  traitor  thought  that  he  would  win  Alexander's 
favor  by  this  crime,  and  came  and  boasted  of  it  to  him. 
Alexander  was  so  angry,  however,  that  he  bade  his  guards 
seize  Bessus,  and  had  him  put  to  death  in  the  most  bar- 
barous way. 

When  the  Macedonian  king  finally  came  up  with 
Darius,  he  found  him  bathed  in  his  own  blood,  and 
breathing  his  last.  He  had  only  time  to  assure  him  of 
the  safety  of  his  family,  and  to  promise  to  continue  to 
protect  them,  before  Darius  sank  back  dead. 

By  Alexander's  orders  the  body  was  embalmed,  and 
carried  to  Sisygambis,  so  that  it  could  be  properly  buried 
in  the  beautiful  tomb  of  the  Persian  kings.  This  last 
act  of  generosity  quite  won  the  aged  queen's  heart;  and 
she  felt  so  grateful,  that  she  loved  Alexander  as  long  as 
he  lived, 


249 


CI.     DEFEAT   OF   PORUS. 

NOW  that  Darius  was  dead,  Alexander  took  the  Per- 
sian title  of  "  Shah  in  Shah"  (king  of  kings),  and 
became  ruler  of  all  the  empire  which  had  been  subject 
to  the  Persian  monarch. 

He  was  so  proud  of  his  new  state  and  of  his  vast 
conquests,  that  he  entirely  forgot  that  he  owed  them 
mostly  to  his  brave  generals  and  soldiers ;  and  he  be- 
came so  obstinate,  that  he  would  no  longer  listen  to  any 
advice,  and  only  thought  of  having  his  own  way. 

His  father's  general,  Parmenio,  who  had  always  given 
him  the  wisest  counsel,  was  no  longer  in  favor,  because 
he  tried  to  restrain  the  king's  extravagance.  Indeed, 
Alexander's  once  generous  and  noble  nature  was  so 
changed,  that,  when  his  courtiers  accused  Parmenio  of 
treachery,  he  listened  to  them,  and  actually  put  the  faith- 
ful general  to  death. 

Every  day  now  Alexander  indulged  in  feasts  and  ban- 
quets, always  drinking  more  and  more,  although  it  was 
affecting  his  health  as  well  as  his  temper.  Clytus,  the 
son  of  his  old  nurse,  tried  to  check  his  excesses,  but 
only  succeeded  in  provoking  his  wrath. 

On  one  occasion  such  remonstrances  so  enraged  Alex- 
ander, that  in  his  drunken  fury  he  seized  a  spear  and 
killed  Clytus.  When  he  saw  him  dead  at  his  feet,  the 
king  realized  what  a  terrible  crime  he  had  committed, 
and  felt  deep  remorse  for  a  short  time. 

He  reformed,  and,  instead  of  giving  himself  up  en- 
tirely to  pleasure,  spent  the  next  two  years  in  the  work 


250 

of  governing  Persia,  where  he  founded  several  cities 
called  by  his  name. 

As  all  the  central  part  of  Asia  now  acknowledged  his 
rule,  he  next  went  down  into  India,  where  he  found 
King  Po'rus,  the  bravest  adversary  he  had  ever  met. 
This  king,  whose  realm  was  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
India,  came  against  Alexander  with  a  very  large  army. 
In  the  ranks  were  many  elephants,  trained  to  crush  the 
enemy  beneath  their  huge  feet,  and  bearing  on  their 
broad  backs  wooden  turrets  filled  with  brave  fighting 
men  and  good  archers. 

In  spite  of  these  elephants,  which  at  first  awakened 
great  fear  in  the  Greek  soldiers,  the  Macedonian  phalanx 
won  the  victory  as  usual,  and  Porus  was  made  prisoner. 
He  was  led  into  the  presence  of  Alexander,  who 
haughtily  asked  him  how  he  expected  to  be  treated. 
"  Like  a  king ! "  was  the  proud  reply. 

This  answer  so  pleased  Alexander,  that  he  not  only 
set  Porus  free,  but  even  allowed  him  to  keep  his  king- 
dom, after  he  had  sworn  to  be  the  faithful  subject  of 
his  conqueror. 

Alexander,  having  thus  won  the  help  and  affection  of 
Porus,  made  war  against  several  other  Indian  kings,  and 
continued  his  advance  toward  the  south.  In  one  of 
these  battles  he  lost  his  faithful  steed  Bucephalus,  which 
had  borne  him  safely  through  many  a  fight. 

Alexander  felt  this  loss  deeply,  and  not  only  had  a 
monument  built  over  his  remains,  but  also  founded  a 
city  near  by,  which  was  called  Bu-ceph'a-la. 


251 


CII.     THE   RETURN   TO    BABYLON. 

UPON  reaching  the  Hyph'a-sis  River,  Alexander  would 
have  liked  to  cross  it,  and  continue  his  conquests; 
but  his  soldiers  now  refused  to  go  any  farther.  They 
were  tired  of  fighting  and  danger,  and  were  longing  to 
go  back  to  Macedon. 

Although  he  was  unwilling  to  do  so,  Alexander  was 
therefore  obliged  to  stop  in.  his  conquests;  but,  instead 
of  going  home  as  he  had  come,  he  now  built  a  fleet, 
and  sailed  down  the  In'dus  River  to  the  sea. 

Now,  the  Greeks  had  no  maps  such  as  we  have;  and 
their  knowledge  of  geography  was  very  small.  When 
Alexander  came  to  the  sea,  however,  he  thought  it  must 
be  the  same  as  that  into  which  the  Euphrates  flowed. 

To  find  out  if  this  was  true,  he  bade  his  admiral, 
Ne-ar'chus,  sail  along  the  coast  and  explore  it,  while  the 
army  went  homeward  on  foot.  Alexander  himself  staid 
with  the  army,  and  led  the  soldiers  along  a  new  way, 
which  was  very  wearisome  and  dangerous. 

The  Macedonians  had  to  pass  through  large  wastes 
of  burning  sand,  where  they  suffered  a  great  deal. 
They  were  cheered  and  encouraged,  however,  by  the 
example  of  Alexander,  who  nobly  shared  their  hard- 
ships, and  always  went  ahead  of  them  on  foot,  carrying 
his  own  armor. 

Once,  when  they  were  panting  with  thirst,  some  of 
his  men  found  a  little  water,  which  they  brought  him. 
Rather  than  indulge  in  anything  which  all  could  not 
share  with  him,  Alexander   poured   the  water   out   upon 


2$2 

the  sand,  saying  he  would  refresh  himself  only  when 
his  men  could  do  so  too. 

After  many  months  of  weary  travel  and  great  suffer- 
ing, the  army  finally  joined  the  fleet  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Euphrates,  for  Nearchus  had  in  the  mean  while  sailed 
all  along  the  northern  coast  of  the  Indian  Ocean  and 
up  the  Persian  Gulf. 

He  wrote  an  account  of  this  wonderful  sea  journey, 
which  was  of  great  importance,  as  it  opened  a  new  and 
convenient  road  for  Eastern  commerce.  The  people  soon 
took  advantage  of  it  to  establish  colonies  and  trading 
stations,  and  to  carry  on  a  lively  business  with  the  East. 


:>**« 


CIII.     DEATH    OF    ALEXANDER   THE    GREAT. 

ALEXANDER  now  went  back  to  Babylon,  where  he 
married  Rox-an'a,  a  Persian  princess,  giving  her 
sister's  hand  to  his  intimate  friend  Hephaestion.  This 
wedding  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp,  for  eighty 
Macedonian  officers  took  Persian  wives  on  the  same  day. 

The  feasting  for  the  weddings  went  on  for  many  days, 
and  the  revelry  was  carried  to  such  a  shameful  excess, 
that  Hephaestion  actually  drank  himself  to  death. 

.In  token  of  sorrow,  Alexander  built  him  a  fine  tomb, 
had  him  buried  with  all  the  magnificence  possible,  and 
even  decreed  that  he  should  henceforth  be  worshiped 
as  a  god.  In  this  folly  he  was  upheld  by  the  priests, 
who  were  now  ready  to  grant  his  every  wish,  and  were 
always  filling  his  mind  with  their  senseless  flatteries. 


253 

Alexander  then  fell  into  his  old  habits  more  than  ever. 
He  had  again  assumed  all  the  pomp  of  an  Eastern  king, 
and  sat  on  a  wonderful  golden  throne.  Over  his  head 
was  the  golden  vine  that  had  formerly  belonged  to 
the  first  Darius.  Its  leaves  were  of  emeralds,  while  its 
grapes  were  clusters  of  fine  carbuncles. 

This  vine  had  been  given  to  a  Persian  king  by  Crce'sus, 
the  wealthy  ruler  of  Lyd'i-a,  and  was  considered  one  of 
the  most  precious  treasures  which  the  young  conqueror 
had  won. 

But  in  spite  of  all  Alexander's  successes,  he  was  not 
nearly  so  happy  as  he  used  to  be  when  only  king  of 
Macedon.  He  no  longer  enjoyed  the  fine  health  which 
had  helped  him  to  bear  the  greatest  hardships,  and, 
weakened  by  over  eating  and  drinking,  he  soon  fell 
dangerously  ill. 

The  doctors  crowded  around  his  bed,  doing  their  best 
to  save  him,  but  they  soon  saw  that  he  would  die. 
When  the  Macedonian  soldiers  heard  this,  they  were 
beside  themselves  with  grief,  and  one  and  all  insisted 
upon  seeing  their  beloved  leader  once  more. 

Silently  and  sadly  they  filed  past  his  bed,  gazing 
upon  the  dying  face  which  they  had  seen  so  bright  and 
full  of  life  a  short  time  before.  As  most  of  the  soldiers 
were  older  than  their  king,  they  had  never  expected  to 
outlive  him ;  and  every  one  said  that  it  was  sad  to  die 
thus,  at  thirty-three,  when  master  of  nearly  all  the 
known  world. 

Just  before  he  died,  some  one  begged  Alexander  to 
name  his  successor.  He  hesitated  for  a  moment,  then 
drew  his  signet  ring  from  his  finger,  gave  it  to  Per-dic'cas, 


255 

his  principal  general,  and  whispered  that  the  strongest 
among  them  should  have  the  throne. 

Alexander's  death  was  mourned  by  all,  for,  in  spite  of 
his  folly  and  excesses,  he  was  generally  beloved.  Even 
Sisygambis,  the  Persian  queen  whom  he  had  taken 
captive  a  few  years  before,  shed  many  tears  over  his 
remains,  and  declared  she  had  lost  a  protector  who  had 
always  treated  her  as  kindly  as  if  he  had  been  her  own 
son. 

The  conqueror's  body  was  laid  in  a  golden  coffin,  and 
carried  in  state  to  Alexandria,  the  city  he  had  founded 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Nile.  Here  a  fine  tomb  was  built 
by  order  of  Ptol'e-my,  one  of  Alexander's  generals,  who 
said  that  his  dead  master  also  should  be  worshiped  as  a 
god. 

Ptolemy  wanted  the  body  to  remain  in  Egypt  be- 
cause an  oracle  had  said  that  he  who  buried  Alexander 
would  be  master  of  his  kingdom. 


:>XK< 


CIV.     THE   DIVISION    OF   THE   REALM. 

THE  day  after  Alexander's  death  there  was  a  sad 
assembly  in  the  palace.  All  the  Macedonian  gen- 
erals sat  there  in  silence  and  dismay,  gazing  at  the 
empty  golden  throne,  upon  which  Perdiccas  had  solemnly 
laid  the  royal  signet  ring. 

Who  was  to  take  the  place  of  the  king  whose  mili- 
tary genius  and  great  conquests  had  won  for  him  the 
title  of  "  Great "  ?     It  is  true  that  Alexander  had  a  half- 


256 

brother,  named  Ar-ri-dae'us,  but  he  was  weak-minded. 
The  only  other  heir  was  an  infant  son,  born  shortly 
after  his  father's  death. 

The  generals  gravely  talked  the  matter  over,  and  finally 
said  that  Arridaeus  and  the  child  should  be  publicly 
named  successors  of  the  dead  king,  while  four  of  their 
own  number  should  be  appointed  guardians  of  the  princes, 
and  regents  of  the  vast  realm. 

This  decision  was  considered  wise,  and  the  kingdom 
of  Alexander  was  divided  into  thirty-three  provinces, 
each  governed  by  a  Macedonian  officer,  who  was  to 
hold  it  in  the  name  of  Arridaeus  and  of  the  child. 

In  dying,  Alexander  had  foretold  that  his  funeral 
would  be  followed  by  bloodshed,  and  this  prediction  came 
true.  The  generals  who  had  met  so  solemnly  around 
the  empty  throne  soon  became  dissatisfied  at  being  only 
governors,  and  each  wanted  to  be  king  in  his  own  right, 
of  the  land  intrusted  to  his  care. 

Perdiccas,  having  received  Alexander's  signet  ring  from 
his  dying  hand,  was,  of  course,  their  leader,  and  took 
under  his  own  protection  the  infant  king  and  the  Persian 
mother  Roxana. 

He  fancied  that  it  would  thus  be  an  easy  matter  to 
keep  the  power  in  his  own  hands,  and  to  govern  the 
vast  realm  as  he  pleased.  But  An-tip'a-ter,  governor  of 
Macedon,  no  sooner  heard  that  Alexander  was  dead, 
than  he  placed  the  idiot  Arridaeus  on  the  throne,  pro- 
claimed him  king,  and  began  to  rule  as  if  he  were  the 
only  regent. 

The  other  Macedonian  generals  daily  claimed  new 
rights,  which  Perdiccas  was  forced  to  grant  in  order  to 


257 

pacify  them ;  but  when  it  was  too  late,  he  found  out  how 
mistaken  he  had  been,  and  regretted  that  he  had  yielded 
to  their  demands. 

The  various  governors,  never  satisfied  with  the  hon- 
ors given  them,  were  not  only  suspicious  of  each  other, 
but  particularly  jealous  of  Perdiccas,  the  head  of  the 
realm.  In  their  envy,  they  rose  up  against  him ;  and  for 
many  years  Perdiccas  was  forced  to  hold  his  own  against 
them  all,  while  trying  to  make  his  way  back  to  Mace- 
don,  where  he  wanted  to  place  Alexander's  son  upon  the 
throne. 

CV.     DEATH    OF    DEMOSTHENES. 

WHEN  Alexander  left  for  the  East,  the  orator  De- 
mosthenes began  to  urge  the  Greeks  to  rise  up 
against  him,  and  win  back  their  freedom.  All  his  elo- 
quence, however,  was  not  enough  to  persuade  them  to 
make  war  as  long  as  Alexander  lived. 

But  when  the  conqueror's  death  was  made  known, 
Demosthenes  again  tried  to  arouse  them,  and  this  time 
with  success.  Pho'cion,  a  cautious  Athenian,  vainly 
begged  the  people  to  wait  at  least  until  the  news  was 
confirmed,  saying,  "  If  Alexander  is  dead  to-day,  he  will 
still  be  dead  to-morrow  and  on  the  next  day,  so  that  we 
may  take  counsel  at  our  leisure." 

This  wise  caution,  however,  did  not  suit  the  Atheni- 
ans, who  were  joined  in  their  revolt  by  most  of  the  little 
states  and  principal  towns  of  Greece,  except  Sparta.  The 
united  Greeks  soon  raised  an  army,  which  marched  north- 

STO.    OF   GK. —  17 


258 


ward,   and  met  the   Macedonian  governor's  troops   near 
Thermopylae. 

The  Greeks  were  successful  here,  and,  after  shutting 
up  the  enemy  in  the  fortress  of  La'mi-a,  closely  besieged 
them.     But  after  a  time  the  Greek 
general   was   killed ;   and,  when  the 
Macedonians      were      reenforced. 
they    gained    a    decisive   victory. 
This  really  ended  the  war;    for 
the  Macedonian  general,  Antip- 
ater,  broke  up  the  union,  and 
made  separate  terms  of  peace 
for  each  city. 

In  his  anger,  Antipater 
said  he  would  punish  all 
those  who  had  encouraged 
the  Greeks  to  revolt.  He 
soon  learned  that  Demos- 
thenes had  been  one  of  the 
principal  men  to  advise  the 
uprising,  so  he  sent  his  sol- 
diers  to  make  him  prisoner. 
Demosthenes,  warned  of 
his  danger,  immediately  fled, 
but  had  only  time  to  take 
refuge  in  the  Temple  of  Nep- 
tune. There,  in  spite  of  the 
holiness  of  the  place,  An- 
tipater's  guards  came  to  get  him. 

Seeing  that  it  would  be   useless    to    resist,    the   orator 
asked  for  a  few  moments'  respite,  that  he  might  write 


Phocion. 


259 

a  letter  to  his  friends.  The  men  consented ;  and  Demos- 
thenes, closely  watched,  took  up  his  tablet  and  the  reed 
with  which  he  generally  wrote. 

The  soldiers  saw  him  trace  a  few  lines,  then  stop  and 
bite  the  top  of  his  reed,  as  if  thinking  about  what  he 
would  say  next.  But,  instead  of  going  on  to  write  his 
letter,  the  orator  soon  covered  his  head  with  his  cloak 
and  staid  quite  still. 

After  a  few  moments'  waiting,  one  of  the  men  went  to 
him,  and,  receiving  no  answer  to  his  question,  drew  aside 
the  folds  of  the  cloak.  He  started  back  in  terror,  for 
the  orator's  face  was  very  pale,  and  he  was  evidently 
about  to  die. 

The  men  quickly  carried  him  out  of  the  temple,  so 
that  it  should  not  be  defiled  by  death,  and  then  they 
found  that  the  reed  with  which  he  wrote  was  hollow,  and 
had  contained  a  deadly  drug.  Demosthenes  had  taken 
the  poison,  thinking  that  death  would  be  better  than 
prison. 

The  Athenians  now  saw  that  it  would  have  been  wiser 
to  listen  to  the  cautious  Phocion :  so  they  set  him  at 
the  head  of  their  affairs,  and  promised  to  obey  him. 
Although  honest,  Phocion  was  not  very  clever,  and  his 
caution  little  by  little  became  cowardice. 

In  his  fear  of  the  Macedonians,  he  allowed  them  to 
have  more  and  more  power ;  and  Greece  a  few  years  later 
was  entirely  under  the  rule  of  Antipater,  the  Macedo- 
nian governor. 


260 


CVI.     THE   LAST   OF   THE   ATHENIANS. 

ANTIPATER,  although  master  of  all  Greece,  did  not 
treat  the  people  cruelly,  for  he  was  very  anxious 
to  secure  friends  who  would  help  him  to  keep  his  share 
of  Alexander's  realm. 

He  soon  heard  that  Perdiccas  was  marching  home- 
ward with  the  infant  king,  who  was  named,  like  his 
father,  Alexander;  and  he  knew  that  the  general  wanted 
to  place  the  child  on  the  Macedonian  throne.  This  plan 
was  very  distasteful  to  Antipater.  He  was  not  at  all 
afraid  of  the  infant  Alexander,  but  he  knew  that  Per- 
diccas would  want  to  be  regent,  and  he  wished  that 
position  himself. 

Rather  than  give  up  his  authority,  Antipater  decided 
to  fight;  and,  as  many  of  Alexander's  generals  were 
dissatisfied,  they  all  rose  up  in  arms  at  the  same  time, 
as  we  have  seen. 

Perdiccas  was  surrounded  by  enemies,  but  he  faced 
them  all  bravely,  and  even  led  an  army  into  Egypt  to 
subdue  Ptolemy,  his  greatest  foe.  To  reach  the  enemy, 
the  soldiers  under  Perdiccas  were  obliged  to  swim  across 
the  Nile.  Here  so  many  of  them  were  eaten  up  by  huge 
crocodiles,  that  the  rest,  angry  with  their  general  for  lead- 
ing them  into  such  danger,  fell  upon  him  and  killed  him. 

Almost  at  the  same  time,  Antipater  died,  leaving  his 
son,  Cas-san'der,  and  his  general,  Pol-ys-per'chon,  to 
quarrel  over  the  government  of  Macedon.  Each  gath- 
ered together  an  army,  and  tried  to  get  as  many  friends 
as  possible,  especially  among  the  Greeks. 


26l 


The  Athenians  vainly  tried  to  remain  neutral  during 
this  quarrel;  but  in  the  course  of  the  war,  Polysperchon 
came  into  their  city,  said  that  Phocion  and  many  other 
great  citizens  were  siding  with  Cassander,  and  condemned 
them  to  die  by  drinking  poison  brewed  from  the  hemlock 
plant. 

It  seems,  however,  that  there  was  not  enough  poison 
ready  to  kill  them  all,  so  the  jailer  made  Phocion  give 
him  some  money  to  buy  more.  The  noble  old  man, 
forced  to  do  as  he  was  bidden,  gave  the  necessary 
amount,  saying,  "  It  seems  that  one  cannot  even  die  for 
nothing  in  Athens." 

As  he  was  the  last  really  noted  politician  in  the  city,  he 
has  been  called  the  "  Last  of  the  Athenians."  No  one 
ever  dared  to  uphold  the  city's  power  after  his  death,  or 
tried  to  help  it  win  back  its  old  freedom. 

As  soon  as  Perdiccas  was  dead,  Roxana  and  her  son 
were  brought  to  Macedon,  where  they  were  finally  placed 
under  the  protection  of  Polysperchon.  When  Olympias, 
the  mother  of  Alexander  the  Great,  saw  his  infant  son, 
she  was  so  anxious  to  secure  the  throne  for  him  alone, 
that  she  slew  the  idiot  king  Arridaeus  and  all  his  family. 

Under  pretext  of  avenging  this  crime,  Cassander  cap- 
tured and  slew  Olympias ;  and  then,  having  won  Macedon 
and  Greece  from  Polysperchon,  and  seeing  that  there  was 
no  one  left  to  protect  Roxana  and  the  child  king,  he  put 
both  mother  and  son  in  prison,  where  they  were  killed  by 
his  order  shortly  after. 

Thus,  twelve  years  after  Alexander's  death,  all  his 
family  were  dead,  and  his  vast  kingdom  was  a  prey  to 
quarreling,  which  broke  it  up  into  several  states. 


262 


CVII.     THE   COLOSSUS   OF   RHODES. 

WHEN  Perdiccas  died,  An-tig'onus  ("  the  one-eyed") 
was  named  his  successor,  and  became  governor 
of  all  the  Eastern  province.  He  no  sooner  heard  that 
Cassander  had  murdered  Alexander's  family,  than  he 
marched  westward,  intending  to  avenge  the  crime. 

On  his  way,  Antigonus  passed  through  Syria,  the  land 
governed  by  Se-leu'cus,  and  asked  that  ruler  how  he  had 
spent  the  money  of  the  kingdom.  Seleucus,  who  had  a 
bad  conscience,  instead  of  answering,  ran  away  to  Egypt, 
where  he  became  a  friend  of  Ptolemy. 

Then,  fearing  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  fight 
against  Antigonus  successfully,  these  two  generals  per- 
suaded Cassander,  ruler  of  Macedon,  and  Ly-sim'a-chus, 
ruler  of  Thrace,  to  join  them. 

For  several  years  the  war  was  kept  up  between  the 
four  allies  on  one  side,  and  Antigonus  and  his  son  De- 
me'tri-us  on  the  other.  The  field  of  battle  was  princi- 
pally in  Asia  Minor.  The  fighting  continued  until  the 
generals  became  weary  of  warfare,  and  concluded  to 
make  peace. 

A  treaty  was  then  signed,  settling  the  claims  of  all 
parties,  and  providing  that  all  the  Greek  cities  should 
have  their  freedom.  This  done,  each  went  back  to  his 
own  province ;  but  it  soon  became  evident  that  the 
peace  would  not  last,  for  Cassander  did  not  keep  his 
promise  to  make  the  Greek  states  free. 

When  Cassander's  wrongdoing  became  known,  the  gen- 
erals called  upon  Demetrius  to  bring  him  to  terms.     The 


26l 

Athenians  were  so  pleased  when  they  heard  of  this,  that 
they  received  Demetrius  with  great  joy. 

Demetrius  was  such  a  good  general  that  he  soon  man- 
aged to  defeat  Cassander  at  Thermopylae;  and  when  he 
came  back  to  Athens  in  triumph,  the  happy  people  gave 
him  the  title  of  "  The  Preserver,"  called  a  month  by  his 
name,  lodged  him  in  the  Parthenon,  and  worshiped  him 
as  a  god.  Some  time  after  this,  Demetrius  conquered 
Ptolemy,  who  had  shown  that  he  would  not  abide  by 
the  treaty  either.  This  victory  was  so  great,  that  De- 
metrius' soldiers  said  he  deserved  a  reward,  and  named 
him  King  of  Syria. 

When  the  other  generals  heard  that  Demetrius  and 
his  father  had  accepted  the  title  of  kings,  they  too  put 
on  royal  crowns.  Then,  as  each  was  still  jealous  of 
the  rest,  and  wished  to  obtain  more  land  for  himself, 
war  soon  broke  out  among  them  once  more. 

Demetrius,  who  had  been  very  lucky  in  all  his  wars, 
now  planned  to  take  the  Island  of  Rhodes  from  Ptol- 
emy, King  of  Egypt.  It  proved,  however,  a  far  more 
difficult  thing  than  he  had  expected,  and,  after  besie- 
ging the  principal  city  for  a  whole  year,  he  gave  up  the 
attempt. 

But  he  had  invented  so  many  machines  to  try  to  sub- 
due the  city  of  Rhodes,  that  every  one  thought  he  de- 
served much  credit,  and  they  therefore  gave  him  the  title 
of  Po-li-or-ce'tes  ("  the  city  taker  "). 

Peace  was  agreed  upon,  and  Demetrius  retreated, 
giving  up  to  the  Rho'di-ans  all  the  mighty  war  engines 
he  had  brought  with  him.  These  were  sold  for  three 
hundred  talents  (something  over  three  hundred  thousand 


264 


Demetrius    Poliorcetes. 
(Coin.) 


dollars),  and  the  money  thus  obtained  was  used  in  erect- 
ing a  colossal  statue  in  honor  of  Apollo  (or  He'li-os), 
the  patron  god  of  the  island. 

This     marvelous    brazen    statue, 
which  was  so  fine  that  it  was  one 
of   the   seven    wonders    of   the  an- 
cient  world,    represented    the    sun 
god,  with  his  head  surrounded   by 
rays,  and  with    his   feet  resting  one 
on  each  side  of  the  entrance  of  the 
port. 

We  are  told  that  the  Co-los'sus 
of  Rhodes,  as  this  statue  was  generally  called,  was  so 
tall  'that  ships  under  full  sail  easily  passed  under  its 
spreading   legs   in    and  out  of  the  harbor. 

It  stood  there  for  about  sixty  years,  when  it  was  over- 
thrown by  an  earthquake.  After  lying  in  ruins  for 
a  long  time,  the  brass  was  sold  as  old  metal.  It  was 
carried  off  on  the  backs  of  camels,  and  we  are  told 
that  nine  hundred  of  these  animals  were  required  for 
the  work. 

Thus  vanished  one  of  the  much  talked  of  wonders  of 
the  ancient  world.  The  others  were  Diana's  Temple  at 
Ephesus,  the  Tomb  of  Mau-so'lus  (which  was  so  fine 
that  any  handsome  tomb  is  sometimes  called  a  mauso- 
leum), the  Pha'ros  or  Lighthouse  of  Alexandria  or  Mes- 
sina, the  Walls  and  Hanging  Gardens  of  Babylon,  the 
Labyrinth  of  Crete,  and  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt.  To 
these  is  often  added  the  Parthenon  at  Athens,  which, 
as  you  have  seen,  was  decorated  by  the  carvings  of 
Phidias. 


265 


CVIII.     THE    BATTLE   OF    IPSUS. 

DEMETRIUS,  having  failed  to  take  Rhodes,  now 
passed  over  into  Greece,  hoping  to  overthrow 
Cassander;  but  the  other  kings,  growing  afraid  of  him, 
agreed  to  help  the  ruler  of  Macedon.  They  therefore 
collected  a  large  army,  and  forced  Demetrius  to  stop 
and  fight  them  all  at  Ip'sus,  in  Asia  Minor. 

Here,  just  twenty  years  after  Alexander's  death,  his 
generals  met  in  a  great  battle.  Seleucus,  it  is  said, 
brought  a  number  of  fighting  elephants,  such  as  Porus 
had  used,  which  added  much  to  the  confusion  and  fierce- 
ness of  the  struggle. 

Antigonus,  the  father  of  Demetrius,  was  slain,  and 
Demetrius  himself  was  defeated,  and  driven  to  Ephesus. 
The  Athenians,  who  had  been  his  friends  and  allies  as 
long  as  he  was  prosperous,  now  basely  deserted  him. 
They  declared  themselves  his  enemies,  and  made  a  law 
whereby  any  one  who  spoke  well  of  him,  or  tried  to 
make  peace  with  him,  should  be  put  to  death. 

The  battle  of  Ipsus  decided  the  fate  of  Alexander's 
kingdom.  It  was  now  divided  into  four  principal  parts. 
Ptolemy  remained  master  of  Egypt,  and  his  family  reigned 
there  many  years,  until  under  Cle-o-pa'tra,  the  last  of  his 
race,  the  country  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Romans. 

Seleucus  and  his  descendants,  the  Se-leu'ci-dae,  had 
the  Persian  Empire,  or  Syria  and  the  land  between  the 
Indus  and  the  Euphrates.  The  capital  of  this  empire 
was  first  Se-leu'cia,  near  Babylon,  and  later  An'ti-och, 
which  became  a  rich  and  well-known  city. 


266 


Lysimachus  was  given  the  kingdom  of  Thrace,  which, 
however,  soon  passed  into  other  hands ;  and  Cassander 
remained  master  of  Macedon.  As  for  Demetrius,  al- 
though he  had  lost  a  kingdom  at  the  battle  of  Ipsus, 
he  soon  managed  to  conquer  another. 

In  his  anger  at  the  Athenians,  he  first  marched  against 
them,  and  besieged  them  in  their  own  city.  The  Athe- 
nians were  frightened,  for  they  knew  how  well  they 
deserved  punishment;  but  they  resisted  as  well  as  they 
could,  and  the  siege  dragged  on  for  several  months. 

At  the  end  of  this  time  there  was  no  food  left  in 
the  city,  and  the  people  suffered  greatly  from  hunger. 
Finally  they  were  obliged  to  yield ;  and  Demetrius  rode 
into  Athens  in  triumph. 

CIX.     DEMETRIUS   AND   THE   ATHENIANS. 

THE  Athenians  trembled  with  fear  when  they  saw 
the  stern  expression  on  Demetrius'  face  as  he  entered 
their  city.  This  terror  became  still  greater  when  he 
ordered  all  the  principal  citizens  to  assemble  in  the 
public  square.  None  of  the  Athenians  dared  to  disobey, 
and  they  were  in  no  wise  reassured  when  the  con- 
quering army  surrounded  them,  each  soldier  holding  an 
unsheathed  sword  in  his  hand. 

Demetrius  now  sternly  addressed  the  citizens,  who 
fancied  that  every  moment  would  be  their  last.  He 
reproved  them  harshly  for  their  ingratitude  and  deser- 
tion, and  told  them  that  they  deserved  death  at  his 
hands ;  but  he  ended  his  speech  by  saying  that  he  pre- 


267 

ferred  to  show  his  power  by  granting  them  forgiveness 
rather  than  by  killing  them. 

Then  he  went  on  to  tell  them,  that,  knowing  how 
much  they  had  suffered,  he  had  sent  supplies  of  grain 
to  every  house,  so  that  when  they  went  home  they 
should  not  find  their  wives  and  children  starving. 

The  sudden  reaction  from  their  great  terror  proved 
almost  fatal  to  the  Athenian  citizens.  But  when  they 
recovered  their  breath,  the  air  was  rent  by  a  mighty 
shout  of  joy  in  honor  of  the  kind  conqueror. 

Although  Demetrius  was  as  generous  as  he  was 
brave,  his  end  was  very  sad.  After  a  long  life  of  con- 
tinual warfare,  and  after  conquering  and  losing  Macedon, 
he  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  rival  and  enemy,  Seleucus, 
who  kept  him  in  prison  as  long  as  he  lived. 

About  this  time  a  new  trouble  befell  Macedon  and 
Greece.  This  was  an  invasion  of  the  Gauls,  who 
came  sweeping  down  from  the  mountains  into  Greece, 
in  order  to  rob  the  temple  at  Delphi. 

A  second  time,  however,  the  temple  escaped,  thanks 
to  a  terrible  thunderstorm,  which  filled  the  superstitious 
minds  of  the  robbers  with  dread.  In  the  sudden  dark- 
ness the  Gauls  fell  upon  each  other,  as  the  Persians 
had  done  in  the  days  of  Xerxes,  and  fought  so  desper- 
ately   that  many  were  killed. 

The  Greeks,  remembering  former  victories,  now  made  up 
their  minds  to  strike  a  blow  in  their  own  defense.  They 
collected  an  army,  and  defeated  the  invaders  so  severely 
that  Bren'nus,  the  leader  of  the  Gauls,  killed  himself  in 
despair,  while  his  followers  withdrew  to  a  province  in  Asia 
Minor,  which  from  the  Gauls  was  called  Ga-la'tia. 


268 


CX.     THE   ACHAEAN    LEAGUE. 

WHILE  the  generals  and  successors  of  Alexander 
were  busy  trying  to  crush  one  another,  most 
of  the  Greek  towns,  left  to  their  own  devices,  had  become 
small  republics.  But  instead  of  forming  a  union,  they 
became  so  jealous,  that  they  began  to  quarrel  and  even 
to  fight  among  themselves. 

As  the  quarrels  became  more  bitter,  two  parties  or 
leagues  were  formed,  which,  from  the  two  most  impor- 
tant provinces  at  that  time,  received  the  names  of  Achaean 
and  yE-to'li-an. 

The  Achaean  League  was  made  up  of  twelve  small 
towns  in  the  Peloponnesus,  and  was  under  the  leader- 
ship of  A-ra'tus,  a  native  of  Sic'y-on.  When  a  child, 
Aratus  had  seen  his  native  city  in  the  hands  of  a  tyrant. 
His  father,  who  was  a  patriot,  had  made  a  bold  attempt 
to  free  the  city,  but  had  failed,  and  lost  his  life. 
Aratus,  who  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  heard  that  his 
father  and  all  his  family  had  been  slain,  and  knew 
that  the  tyrant  would  try  to  kill  him  too.  As  he  was 
too  weak  to  defend  himself,  he  sought  refuge  in  the 
house  of  the  tyrant's  sister,  where  no  one  would  be 
likely  to  seek  for  him. 

This  woman,  touched  by  the  child's  trust,  hid  him 
cleverly,  and,  when  all  danger  was  over,  sent  him  to 
some  friends,  where  she  paid  for  his  board,  and  had 
him  carefully  brought  up. 

As  Aratus  was  patriotic,  he  was  anxious  to  finish  the 
work    which    his    father    had    begun.      At    the    age    of 


269 

twenty,  therefore,  he  assembled  a  few  comrades,  entered 
Sicyon,  called  all  the  lovers  of  liberty  to  his  aid,  and  drove 
away  the  tyrant  without  shedding  any  blood. 

The  town,  thus  freed,  joined  the  Achaean  League,  of 
which  Aratus  soon  became  the  leader.  This  office  was 
elective,  and  no  one  was  expected  to  fill  it  for  more  than 
a  year;  but  Aratus  was  so  much  loved  that  he  was  chosen 
leader  thirty-five  years  in  succession. 

At  this  time,  Greece  and  Macedon  were  under  the  rule 
of  Antigonus  Go-na'tas,  son  of  Demetrius ;  for  this  man 
had  conquered  for  himself  the  second  kingdom  which 
his  father  had  lost.  But  now  Aratus  and  the  Achaean 
League  refused  to  obey  him,  so  he  marched  down  from 
Macedon  to  restore  order. 

To  prevent  his  advance,  and  to  hinder  his  getting  even 
as  much  as  a  foothold  in  the  peninsula,  Aratus  wanted 
to  capture  the  fortress  of  Ac-ro-co-rin'thus,  which  barred 
the  Isthmus  of  Corinth. 

This  undertaking  was  very  difficult,  because  the  for- 
tress was  perched  upon  a  rock  so  high  and  steep  that 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  climb  it. 

A  traitor,  Di'o-cles,  however,  offered  to  show  Aratus  a 
way  to  climb  this  rock,  provided  that  he  should  receive 
a  certain  reward.  Although  general  of  the  Achaean 
League,  and  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  his  day,  Aratus 
was  far  from  being  rich;  and,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
required  sum,  he  had  to  sell  all  he  had,  and  even  pawn 
his  wife's  few  jewels. 

Then,  in  the  midst  of  the  darkness,  one  rainy  night, 
Diodes  led  the  Achaean  soldiers  along  a  steep  path, 
which  they  had  to  climb  in  Indian  file. 


270 

He  brought  them  safely  and  unseen  into  the  fortress, 
where  they  killed  most  of  the  Macedonian  sentinels, 
and  put  the  guards  to  flight.  As  soon  as  the  key  of 
the  Peloponnesus  had  been  thus  daringly  won,  most  of  the 
other  towns  in  the  peninsula  joined  the  league,  and  the 
Achaeans  gained  such  victories,  that  Antigonus  Gonatus 
fell  ill,  and  died  of  grief. 

The  Achaean  League  became  stronger  and  stronger; 
and,  although  Sparta  and  a  few  other  cities  remained 
neutral,  most  of  the  small  towns  were  freed  from  their 
tyrants.  Such  was  the  importance  of  the  league,  that 
the  Roman  ambassadors  once  came  to  ask  for  its  aid  to 
suppress  the  pirates  who  infested  the  neighboring  seas. 

This  help  was  cheerfully  given,  and  the  Achaeans  en- 
tered into  a  treaty  with  the  Romans.  They  little  sus- 
pected, however,  that  the  city  whose  name  was  then 
almost  unknown  would  in  less  than  a  hundred  years 
become  strong  enough  to  subdue  them,  and  be  mistress 
over  all  Greece. 


:>SK< 


CXI.     DIVISION   IN   SPARTA, 

WHILE  the  Achaean  League  was  doing  its  best  to 
restore  Greece  to  its  former  power,  Sparta  had 
remained  inactive.  The  Spartans  had  changed  greatly 
since  the  days  of  Lycurgus.  They  no  longer  obeyed 
his  wise  laws,  and,  instead  of  being  brave  and  frugal, 
they  were  greedy,  lazy,  and  wicked. 

One  of  their  kings  was  named  Leonidas;  but  he  was 


2/1 

in  no  way  like  his  great  namesake,  the  king  who  had 
fallen  at  Thermopylae.  Indeed,  he  married  an  Eastern 
wife,  and  to  please  her  assumed  all  the  pomp  and  led 
the  idle  life  of  an  Eastern  king. 

His  fellow-king,  on  the  other  hand,  was  such  a  miser 
that  he  heaped  up  great  treasures.  When  he  died,  his 
wife  and  mother  were  said  to  have  more  gold  than  the 
city  and  people  together.  The  miser  king  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  but  this  young  man's  sole  ambition  was  to 
restore  Sparta  to  its  former  condition. 

His  name  was  A'gis.  He  lived  like  the  Spartans  of  old, 
practiced  all  the  virtues  of  his  ancestors,  and  was  frugal 
and  brave  in  the  extreme.  To  restore  Sparta,  real  Spar- 
tans were  needed,  but,  in  counting  them  over,  Agis  found 
that  there  were  only  about  seven  hundred  of  the  old 
stock  left.  The  first  move  was  to  restore  equality.  For 
that  purpose,  all  the  money  and  land  would  have  to  be 
equally  divided,  so  Agis  began  by  persuading  his  own 
mother  and  grandmother  to  give  up  their  wealth.  Leon- 
idas  did  not  like  the  plan  of  equality,  and  soon  openly 
opposed  it,  although  his  son-in-law  Cleombrotus  sided 
with  Agis,  and  upheld  it. 

But  the  people  were  eager  for  the  new  division  which 
would  make  them  all  equal  as  of  old ;  and  they  were 
so  angry  with  Leonidas  for  his  resistance,  that  they  rose 
up  against  him,  and  proposed  to  depose  him  by  reviving 
an  old  law  which  forbade  the  ruling  of  a  king  who 
married  a  foreign  wife. 

Leonidas  had  time  to  flee  to  the  Temple  of  Athene; 
and  when  the  ephors  called  him  to  appear  before  them, 
he  refused  to  do  so,  because  he  feared  for  his  life.     As 


o 


273 

such  a  refusal  was  a  crime,  the  ephors  said  he  should 
not  reign  any  longer,  and  named  Cleombrotus  king  in 
his  stead. 

Leonidas,  who  had  led  a  selfish,  pleasure-loving  life, 
was  now  forsaken  by  every  one  except  his  daughter, 
Chi-k/nis,  who  gave  up  her  husband  and  the  throne  in 
order  to  console  her  unfortunate  father.  She  kept  him 
company  in  the  temple,  cared  for  him  and  amused  him, 
and,  when  her  husband  begged  her  to  come  back,  she 
answered  that  her  place  was  rather  with  her  unhappy 
father  than  with  her  prosperous  husband. 

When  it  became  known  that  the  Spartans  were  plot- 
ting to  kill  the  unhappy  Leonidas,  Agis  helped  him  to 
escape,  and  Chilonis  followed  him  into  exile. 

The  ^Etolian  League,  which  just  then  was  very  strong, 
now  sent  an  army  across  the  isthmus  to  attack  the  Spar- 
tans. The  latter  sallied  forth  under  the  leadership  of 
Agis,  who  proved  such  a  skillful  general,  that  he  not 
only  won  a  great  victory,  but  also  drove  the  ^Etolians 
out  of  the  peninsula. 

During  the  absence  of  Agis,  many  of  the  richest  Spar- 
tans who  had  not  yet  given  up  their  property  refused 
to  do  so,  and  when  urged  by  Cleombrotus  to  obey,  they 
revolted  against  him,  and  recalled  Leonidas. 

Cleombrotus  had  only  time  to  take  refuge  in  the  same 
temple  where  his  father-in-law  had  once  found  shelter. 
Here  he  was  soon  joined  by  his  wife,  Chilonis,  who,  ever 
faithful  to  the  most  unhappy,  came  thither  to  comfort 
him. 

Leonidas  was  so  angry  that  he  would  probably  have 
treated  Cleombrotus  with   the   utmost  severity,  had    not 

STO.  OF  GR. —  1 8 


274 

Chilonis  fallen  at  his  feet  and  begged  him  to  spare  her 
husband's  life.  Her  tears  touched  her  father,  and  he 
granted  the  favor  she  asked,  declaring,  however,  that 
Cleombrotus  should  go  into  exile. 

In  spite  of  her  father's  entreaties  to  remain  with  him, 
Chilonis  insisted  upon  accompanying  her  husband.  She 
gave  Cleombrotus  one  of  their  two  children,  clasped  the 
other  to  her  breast,  and  left  the  city,  proudly  walking 
at  her  husband's  side. 

CXII.     DEATH   OF   AGIS. 

WHEN  Agis  heard  of  the  changes  which  had  been 
taking  place  in  Sparta  during  his  absence,  he 
quickly  went  home.  On  arriving  in  the  city,  he  found 
the  party  of  the  rich  so  powerful  that  he  could  not 
oppose  them,  and  was  even  forced  to  seek  refuge  in  a 
temple,  as  Leonidas  and  Cleombrotus  had  each  done  in 
turn. 

His  wife,  A-gi-a'tis,  forced  by  illness  to  stay  at  home, 
could  not  show  her  love  by  following  him  there ;  but  a 
few  faithful  friends  went  with  him,  and  kept  guard 
over  him.  Their  watchfulness  was  needed,  because  Agis 
slipped  out  of  the  temple  every  night  to  go  to  the  bath 
and  refresh  himself. 

It  happened,  however,  that  two  of  these  friends  were 
false.  They  basely  took  the  bribes  offered  by  the 
ephors  for  information  about  the  king,  and  told  them 
that  he  left  the  temple  every  night,  and  for  what 
purpose. 


275 

Thus  advised,  the  ephors  surprised  the  little  party 
the  next  night,  and  thrust  Agis  into  prison.  He  was 
tried  and  condemned  to  death  by  order  of  Leonidas, 
and  thus  died  when  only  twenty-two  years  of  age,  after 
having  vainly  tried  for  three  years  to  bring  the  Spartans 
back  to  their  former  simplicity  and  virtue. 

Leonidas,  not  content  with  killing  Agis,  gave  the  widow 
Agiatis  in  marriage  to  his  son,  Cle-om'e-nes,  who  was  a 
mere  boy,  several  years  younger  than  she.  Agiatis  soon 
won  great  influence  over  the  young  prince,  and  told  him 
so  much  about  her  dead  husband,  that  he  tried  to  follow 
the  example  of  Agis  in  everything. 

When  Leonidas  died,  Cleomenes  succeeded  him,  and, 
thanks  to  the  teachings  of  his  wife,  was  both  great  and 
virtuous.  He  drove  away  the  ephors,  who  were  rich 
and  corrupt,  and  then  distributed  all  the  property  equally 
among  the  people,  as  Agis  had  planned. 

When  Aratus  heard  of  the  reforms  made  by  Cleome- 
nes, he  began  to  fear  that  Sparta  would  win  back  her 
former  power,  and  again  try  to  lord  it  over  the  rest  of 
Greece.  To  prevent  such  a  misfortune,  he  decided  to 
attack  the  Spartan  king  while  he  was  too  young  to 
excel  in  the  art  of  war. 

He  therefore  advanced  with  a  good  army;  but,  to  his 
surprise  and  dismay,  he  was  completely  defeated  by  the 
young  king.  Several  of  the  smaller  towns  now  showed 
a  desire  to  leave  the  Achaean  League  and  join  Sparta, 
so  Aratus  became  more  eager  than  ever  to  suppress  her 
rising  power. 

In  his  eagerness  he  forgot  all  caution,  and  even  asked 
help  of  Antigonus   Do'son,   King  of   Macedon,  the   sue- 


276 

cessor  of  Antigonus  Gonatas.  This  ruler  owed  his  sur- 
name of  Doson  ("who  will  give")  to  a  bad  habit  of 
promising  all  kinds  of  gifts  to  his  followers,  —  promises 
which  were  never  kept. 

Antigonus  Doson  was  only  too  glad  to  send  a  Mace- 
donian army  into  Greece,  and  not  only  garrisoned  the 
fortress  on  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth,  but  also  sent  troops 
on  into  the  Peloponnesus. 


&*& 


CXIII.     THE   WAR   OF  THE   TWO    LEAGUES. 

THE  Achaean  and  Macedonian  armies  now  met  the 
Spartans  at  Sel-la'sia,  in  Laconia,  where  the  latter 
were  badly  defeated,  and  Sparta  fell  into  the  enemy's 
hands.  Antigonus  was  so  proud  of  his  victory  that  he 
burst  a  blood  vessel  upon  hearing  the  news,  and  died 
shortly  after. 

Before  he  closed  his  eyes,  however,  he  had  the  satis- 
faction of  driving  Cleomenes  away  from  Greece  into 
Egypt.  There  the  young  king  fell  upon  his  sword,  after 
killing  his  children,  rather  than  become  a  slave.  Tyrants 
were  now  allowed  again  in  many  of  the  Greek  cities,  in 
spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  Aratus,  who  learned  only 
too  late  that  the  Macedonians  had  come  into  the  Pelo- 
ponnesus merely  for  the  purpose  of  making  themselves 
masters  of  the  country. 

Aratus'  eyes  were  opened.  He  saw  that  all  his  efforts 
were  vain,  and  that,  owing  to  his  own  imprudence, 
Greece  would    never  again   be   free.     In   his   grief,   his 


277 

presence  of  mind  quite  torsook  him.  He  did  not  know 
what  steps  to  take  in  order  to  undo  all  the  harm  he  had 
done. 

The  yEtolians  now  became  the  champions  of  freedom, 
and  marched  against  the  Achaeans,  whom  they  defeated. 
In  their  distress,  the  Achaeans  once  more  begged  the 
Macedonians  to  interfere,  and  send  troops  into  Greece. 

The  contest  which  followed  is  known  as  the  War  of 
the  Two  Leagues,  and  lasted  for  some  time.  In  the 
beginning,  the  Macedonian  king  allowed  Aratus  to  take 
the  lead,  and  followed  all  his  directions;  but,  growing 
weary  of  this  subordinate  part,  he  finally  poisoned  the 
Achaean  leader,  and  became  head  of  the  league  himself. 

When  the  Spartans  and  Italians,  who  had  joined 
forces,  found  that  the  Achaeans  and  Macedonians  were 
likely  to  prove  too  strong  for  them,  they  also  began  to 
look  around  for  allies.  As  the  fame  of  the  rising  city 
of  Rome  had  reached  them,  they  finally  sent  thither  for 
the  help  they  needed. 

The  Romans  were  then  rapidly  extending  their  terri- 
tory, and  hoped  soon  to  become  masters  of  the  world,  so 
they  were  glad  to  help  the  Spartans  against  the  Mace- 
donians, who  were  already  their  enemies. 

They  therefore  speedily  came  to  the  Spartans'  aid,  set 
fire  to  the  Achaean  and  Macedonian  ships,  and  defeated 
their  armies  so  sorely,  that  Philip  was  obliged  to  beg  for 
peace  and  to  give  them  his  son  as  a  hostage. 

The  Spartans,  having  thus  freed  themselves  from  the 
yoke  of  the  Achaean  League,  now  fell  into  far  worse 
hands,  for  they  were  governed  by  a  tyrant  named 
Na'bis, —  a   cruel    and    miserly   man,    who,    in    order  to 


278 

increase  his  treasure,  often  had  recourse  to  vile  strat- 
agems. 

He  had  made  a  cunning  instrument  of  torture,  on  pur- 
pose to  obtain  money  from  any  one  he  wished.  This 
was  a  statue,  the  exact  image  of  his  wife,  clad  in 
magnificent  robes.  Whenever  he  heard  that  any  man 
was  very  rich,  Nabis  used  to  send  for  him.  After  treat- 
ing him  with  exaggerated  politeness,  the  tyrant  would 
gently  advise  him  to  sacrifice  his  wealth  for  the  good  of 
the  state. 

If  his  guest  refused  to  do  so,  Nabis  would  invite  him 
to  visit  his  wife,  and  lead  the  unsuspecting  man  close  to 
the  statue.  This  was  made  so  as  to  move  by  a  system  of 
cunningly  arranged  springs,  and  as  soon  as  the  victim  came 
within  reach,  the  statue's  arms  closed  tightly  around  him. 

The  terrified  guest,  caught  in  an  irresistible  embrace, 
then  found  himself  drawn  closer  and  closer,  and  pressed 
against  sharp  points  and  knives  hidden  under  the  rich 
garments. 

It  was  only  when  the  tortured  man  had  solemnly 
promised  to  give  up  all  he  owned,  that  the  tyrant  Nabis 
would  set  him  free ;  but  if  he  resisted,  he  was  killed  by 
slow  torture,  and  allowed  to  bleed  to  death  in  the  statue's 
embrace. 

CXIV.  THE  LAST  OF  THE  GREEKS. 

WHEN    Aratus    died,    the    principal    man    in    the 
Achaean    army   was  -Phil-o-pce'men,  a   brave   and 
virtuous  young  man.     He  was  patriotic  in  the  extreme, 


279 

and  so  plain  and  unassuming  that  no  one  would  have 
suspected  his  rank. 

On  one  occasion,  when  he  had  reached  the  dignity  of 
general,  he  was  invited  to  dine  at  a  house  where  the 
hostess  was  a  stranger  to  him.  When  he  came  to  the 
door,  she  took  him  for  a  servant,  on  account  of  his 
plain  clothes,  and  curtly  bade  him  go  and  split  wood. 

Without  saying  a  word,  Philopcemen  threw  aside  his 
cloak,  seized  an  ax,  and  set  to  work.  The  host,  on 
coming  up  a  few  minutes  later,  was  horrified  to  see 
his  honored  guest  cutting  wood,  and  was  profuse  in  his 
apologies  for  a  mistake  which  only  made  Philopcemen 
laugh. 

.  When  Philopcemen  heard  how  cruel  Nabis  was,  he 
wanted  to  free  Sparta  from  his  tyranny.  So  he  entered 
the  town  at  the  head  of  an  armed  force  of  men,  confis- 
cated the  treasures  for  the  benefit  of  the  public,  and 
drove  Nabis  away. 

The  Spartans  were  at  first  very  grateful  to  the  Achaeans 
for  freeing  them,  but  they  soon  began  to  feel  jealous 
of  their  power,  and  again  rose  up  in  revolt  against  them. 
This  time  Philopcemen  treated  the  Spartans  with  the 
utmost  severity,  even  razing  the  walls  of  the  city,  which 
were  never  rebuilt. 

Philopcemen  was  farsighted  enough  to  see  from  the 
beginning  that  the  Roman  alliance  would  prove  bad  for 
Greece.  He  soon  discovered  that  the  Romans  intended 
to  subdue  the  country,  and  in  order  to  do  so  most  easily 
were  trying  to  make  the  people  quarrel  among  them- 
selves. 

All  his  efforts  were  therefore  directed  toward  keeping 


280 


peace,  and  for  a  time  he  was  quite  successful.  But  the 
Romans,  seeing  no  other  way  to  bring  about  a  quarrel, 
at  last  bribed  the  Messenians  to  revolt. 

In  the  course  of  the  war,  Philopcemen  was  led  into  an 
artfully  arranged  ambuscade,  and  was  taken  in  chains  to 
Messenia,  where,  notwithstanding  his  gray  hair,  he  was 
exposed  to  the  jeers  of  the  common  people. 

After  thus  humiliating  him,  they  led  him  to  the  place 
of  torture ;  but  when  he  heard  that  his  army  had  escaped 
from  the  ambush,  he  fervently  cried,  "  I  die  happy,  since 
the  Achaeans  are  safe." 

This  only  hastened  the  end  of  the  brave  patriot,  who 
has  been  called  the  "  Last  of  the  Greeks,"  because  he  was 
the  last  to  try  to  maintain  his  country's  independence. 

The  Achaeans  soon  after  took  the  town  of  Messenia, 
stoned  all  Philopcemen's  murderers  on  his  tomb,  and  car- 
ried his  ashes  to  Meg-a-lop'o-lis,  his  native  city,  where 
they  were  buried  with  great  pomp. 


«<«< 


CXV.     GREECE    A   ROMAN   PROVINCE. 

FOR  centuries  the  Greeks  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
assembling  at  Corinth  every  three  years  for  the 
celebration  of  the  Isthmian  games,  in  honor  of  Poseidon, 
god  of  the  sea.  Here,  as  at  Olympia,  there  were  races, 
wrestling  and  boxing  matches,  and  contests  in  verse  and 
song;  and  as  usual  the  prizes  were  simple  crowns  of 
olive  leaves,  which  were  considered  far  more  precious 
than  silver  or  gold. 


28 1 


In  196  B.C.  not  only  were  the  Greeks  present  at  this 
celebration,  but  there  were  also  many  Romans  who  wished 
to  witness  the  games.  The  Greeks  were  then  particularly 
happy  because  the  War  of  the  Two  Leagues  seemed  to 
be  ended,  and  the  country  was  at  peace. 

In  the  midst  of  the  festival,  Quin'tius  Flam-i-ni'nus, 
the  Roman  consul,  mounted  the  orator's  block,  and  pro- 
claimed that  the  Roman  army  had  just  won  a  great 
victory  over  the  revolted  King  of  Macedon,  and  that 
the  Greek  states  were  now  indeed  free. 

These  tidings  were  received  with  such  a  tumult  of 
joyful  cries,  it  is  said,  that  a  flock  of  birds  that  were 
flying  overhead  fell  to  the  earth,  stunned  by  the  shock 
of  cheers  which  rent  the  air. 

This  joy,  however,  did  not  last  very  long,  for  the  new- 
won  freedom  of  Greece  existed  in  name  only.  As  soon 
as  the  Romans  ha'd  completed  the  conquest  of  Macedon 
under  its  last  ruler,  Perseus,  they  prepared  to  annex 
Greece  also. 

Their  first  move  was  to  accuse  the  Achaeans  of  send- 
ing aid  to  Macedon.  Under  this  pretext,  one  thousand 
leading  citizens  were  seized,  and  sent  to  Rome  to  be 
tried. 

Here  they  were  kept  in  exile  for  many  a  year,  long- 
ing to  go  home,  and  fuming  against  their  detention. 
When  they  were  finally  allowed  to  return,  they  were  so 
imbittered,  that,  as  the  Romans  had  foreseen,  they  soon 
stirred  up  a  revolt  among  the  Achaeans. 

^E-mil'i-us  Pau'lus,  the  conqueror  of  Macedon,  then 
marched  into  Greece,  and  swept  over  the  whole  country. 
He  took  the  city  of  Corinth,  and  burned  it  to  the  ground, 


282 


after  carrying  off  many  of  its  most  precious  works  of 
art  to  adorn  his  triumph. 

Such  was  the  ignorance  of  the  Romans  at  that  time, 
however,  about  all  matters  of  art,  that  the  sailors  who 
were  to  carry  these  treasures  to  Rome  were  warned  by 
the  consul  to  be  careful,  as  they  would  have  to  replace 
any  article  they  had  damaged  or  lost. 

The  Romans  then  placed  garrisons  in  the  principal 
Greek  towns,  and  the  country  became  a  mere  province 
of  Rome,  under  the  name  of  Achaia. 

Thus  ends  the  history  of  ancient  Greece,  which,  though 
so  small,  was  yet  the  most  famous  country  the  world 
has  ever  known,  —  the  country  from  which  later  nations 
learned  their  best  lessons  in  art,  philosophy,  and  liter- 
ature 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Academv  gardens  of 142 

Achaean  League 268-270 

Achaeans  exiled  to  Rome    ......  281 

Achilles,  avenges  Patrcclus 50 

betrays  himself 46 

death  of 51 

in  the  Styx 45 

prophecy  regarding 44 

Acropolis,  captured  .     .  ....    83,  96 

Parthenon  on 149 

statue  of  Athene  on 115 

temple  to  Theseus  near      .     .     .       25,  143 

Adrastus 37-40 

JEgean  Sea,  aerivation  of  name  ....     27 
Persian  vessels  forbidden  to  enter    -     .  147 

vEgeus 27 

jEgina,  Draco  at  Island  of 88 

i*Eneas,  escape  of 53 

JEtolism  League 268,  273 

Agamemnon,  insults  priest  of  Apollo  .     .     48 

King  of  Mycenae 44 

Age  of  Pericles 146 

Agesilaus,  at  Coronea 189 

courage  of 185,  199 

Agis,  condemned  to  death 275 

type  of  old  Spartans 271 

Alcibiades,  anecdotes  of     .     .       161,  163,  164 

hostility  toward 166 

killed  by  Persians 171 

shield  of 162 

Alexander  1 197-199 

Alexander  the  Great,  birthplace  of      .     .  227 

crosses  Libyan  desert 245 

cuts  Gordian  knot 238 

death  of 236,  253 

enters  Jerusalem 244 

generosity  of 248 

horsemanship  of 229,  231 

marriage  of 252 

omens  concerning 227 

prophecy  of 256 

self-denial  of    .     .  251 

takes  title  of  "  Shah  in  Shah"   .     .     .  249 
tomb  of 255 


PAGE 
Alexander  the  Great,  victory  of .     .     237,246 

visit  of,  to  Diogenes 235 

Alexandria,  founded 244 

Lighthouse  of 264 

Ambassador,  life  of,  sacred  .  .  .  in,  120 
Amphictyonic  Council  ....  20,  217,  224 
Anaxagoras,  philosopher   ....     151,  152 

Antalcidas,  treaty  of 190 

Antigone 36,  40 

Antigonus  Doson 275 

Antigonus  Gonatas    ........  269 

Antigonus,  "  the  one-eyed  " 262 

Antipater,  governor  of  Macedon,  256,  258,  260 

Apollo  sends  plague 48 

statue  in  honor  of 264 

Appetite,  recipe  for  good 238 

Aratus,  leader  of  Achaean  League  .     .     .  269 

poisoning  of 277 

Arbela,  battle  at 246 

Archon,  how  elected 87 

origin  of  title  of 57 

Areopagus,  court  of  law 91 

Pisistratus  before  the 95 

Aristides,  anecdote  of 118 

burial  of 141 

discovers  plans  of  Xerxes      ....  133 

recall  of 124 

Aristocrat,  derivation  of 95 

Aristodemus,  daughter  sacrificed  by     .     .     72 

first  ruler  of  Sparta 61 

Aristogiton 99,  102 

Aristomenes 73~77 

Aristophanes •.     173-175 

Aristotle,  teacher  of  Alexander  ....  231 

Arridaeus 256,  261 

Artaxerxes,  befriends  Themistocles     .     .  140 

oath  of 147 

sends  for  Hippocrates 155 

treachery  of 181 

Aspasia 152 

Aster,  an  archer 220 

Athene,  festival  in  honor  of 26 

statue  of 115,149,247 

temple  to      .     .     .     .88,101,136,149,271 


283 


284 


PAGE 

Athene,  tree  planted  by      ....      90,137 

Athenians,  at  Marathon     ....      113-115 

bribery  of 189 

build  statues 102,  179 

defeat  Spartans 56 

extravagance  of 141 

heroes  among 113,  114 

ingratitude  of 117,119 

last  of  the 261 

thirty-years'  peace  of 148 

Athens,  art  in 149 

becomes  an  oligarchy 87 

burning  of 132 

called  Cecropia 16 

chains  of  Xerxes  in 137 

Olympic  games  at,  in  1896     ....     80 

plague  in     . 155 

purification  of 90 

rebuilt 137 

title  of  king  in 56 

voting  in 91,  103 

Athos,  Mount no,  124,  126 

Babylon,  city  of 246 

Hanging  Gardens  of 264 

Bessus,  treachery  of 248 

Brennus,  leader  of  Gauls 267 

Bucephalus,  meaning  of 229 

monument  to 250 

Bulis,  self-sacrifice  of 120 

Cadmus 17, 191 

Canal  dug  by  Xerxes 124 

Cassander     260-263 

Cassandra 42 

Ceadas,  pit  of 75 

Cecropia.     See  Athens. 

Cecrops  founds  Athens 16 

Chaeronea,  battle  at 225 

Charilaus  educated  by  Lycurgus     ...     62 

Charon,  babe  of,  as  pledge 193 

Chilo  dies  of  joy 86 

Chilonis,  self-sacrifice  of 273 

Chios,  Island  of 60 

Cimon,  banishment  of 146 

death  of 147 

generosity  of 143 

son  of  Miltiades 117 

Cleombrotus 195,  273 

Cleomenes 275,  276 

Cleopatra,  last  of  the  Ptolemies  ....  265 

Clytus 228,  237,  249 

Codrus,  heroic  death  of 56 

Coinage  of  money 24 

Colchis,  Golden  Fleece  in 25 

Colossus  of  Rhodes 264 


PAG* 

Comedy  of "  The  Clouds M  .  .  174,175 
Corinth,  city  of 280,  281 

Isthmus  of 17,  131 

Coronea   .     .  148,  1&9 

Crete,  location  of .     .     22 

Criminals,  punishment  of 176 

self-defense  of 91 

Crito 177,  179 

Croesus,  ruler  of  Lydia 253 

Croton,  Greek  colony 81,  166 

Cunaxa,  battle  at .  180 

Cyclops,  meaning  of 14 

Cydnus,  Alexander  bathes  in  .    .     .         .  240 

Cylon 88 

Cyrus,  death  of 180 

Daedalus  invents  sails 22 

Damocles'  sword 209 

Damon 204-208 

Danaus  teaches  shipbuilding 17 

Darius,  army  of,  routed 113 

audience  chamber  of 106 

death  of 119,  248 

offers  peace  to  Alexander 247 

resolves  to  conquer  Greece     .     .     108,  117 

second  army  of no 

"  The  Great  King  " 104 

Decelea,  fortification  of 168 

Delos,  Island  of 177,  179 

Delphi,  temple  at,  rebuilding  of .     .     .     .  101 

robbed 224 

saved  by  thunderstorm  ....     130,  267 

Demeter,  festival  of 17,  191 

Demetrius,  generosity  of 266 

imprisonment  of 267 

"The  Preserver" 263 

Democedes,  court  physician 107 

Democrat,  derivation  of 95 

Demosthenes,  cowardice  of 226 

joy  of,  at  death  of  Philip 233 

orator      221-223 

takes  poison 259 

Deucalion 19,  20 

Diana,  goddess -  ...    47 

temple  of 65,  227,  237,  264 

Diodes,  traitor 269 

Diogenes      234,  235 

Dion 210-215 

Dionysius  the  Elder 202-210 

Dionysius  the  Younger  ....  210-216 
Dionysus,  festival  and  theater  of  .  .  92-94 
Draco,  cruel  lawmaker 87,  88,  91 

"  Earth  and  water,"  demand  for       ...  no 

Ecbatana,  a  walled  city 104 

Egyptians,  civilization  of ia 


285 


PAGE 

Epaminondas,  as  commander 196 

dying  words  of 201 

risks  own  life  for  Pelopidas     ....  191 

Ephesus,  founded 56 

taken  by  Alexander 237 

temple  at 227,  264 

Ephialtes,  perfidy  of .  128 

Epimenides,  long  sleep  of 90 

Erostratus  wins  immortality 228 

Eteocles  quarrels  with  Polynices      .     .    37-39 
Eurybiades,  Spartan  king  ....      132-134 

Flood  of  Ogyges 15 

Furies,  duty  of 36 

Galatia,  how  named 267 

Golden  Fleece,  search  for 25 

Gordian  knot,  cutting  the 240 

Gordium 238 

Granicus,  battle  near 237 

Great  Greece 54 

Great  King,  The  (see  also  Darius)     .     .  104 

Greece,  alphabet  brought  to 17 

Egyptians  settle  in 13 

freedom  of 281 

known  as  Achaia 282 

punishment  of  criminals  in     ....  176 

situation  of n 

Greeks,  at  Thermopylae      ....     127,128 

betrayal  of 181 

commercial  journey  by 26 

geographical  knowledge  of     ...     .  251 

gods  angry  with 54 

last  of  the 280 

retreat  of 182-184 

statue  judged  by 83 

Troy  taken  by 53 

truce  of 51 

victory  of,  at  Salamis 134 

Hanging  Gardens  of  Babylon      ....  264 

Harmodius,  kills  Hipparchus      ....  99 

statue  in  honor  of 102 

Hector,  falls  by  hand  of  Achilles     ...  50 

kills  Patroclus 50 

sung  by  Homer 60 

Hecuba,  dream  of 41 

Helen  runs  away  with  Paris 43 

Helios.     See  Apollo. 

Hellas,  how  named  (see  also  Greece)       .  21 

Hellen,  second  son  of  Deucalion     ...  20 

Hellespont,  a  narrow  strait 109 

bridging  the 121 

Helots,  Spartan  slaves 61 

strike  for  freedom 145 

temperance  taught  by 68 


PAGE 

Hephaestion,  drinks  himself  to  death   .     .  252 

friend  of  Alexander 236 

mistaken  for  Alexander 241 

Heracles.     See  Hercules. 

Heraclidae,  banishment  of       .....     28 

regain  possessions 55 

Heraclides,  treachery  of 214 

Hercules,  birthplace  of 28 

festival  instituted  by 78 

games  in  honor  of 38 

Hermes,  destruction  of  statues  of   .     .     .  166 

Heroic  Age       25,  57 

Hipparchus 98,  99 

Hippias,  Athenian  ruler 98 

capture  of 102 

Darius'  generals  guided  by    .     .     .     .111 

killed 113 

seeks  aid  from  Darius 105 

Hippocrates  drives  out  plague    ....  156 

Homer,  birthplace  of 60 

blindness  of 57 

poems  of,  collected 97 

rank  of,  as  poet 58,  60 

Hot  Gateway 20,  125 

Hymettus,  honey  of 17 

Hyphasis  River 251 

Icarian  Sea,  how  named 24 

Icarus  flies  too  high        24 

Ilium.     See  Troy. 

Immortals,  bodyguard  of  Xerxes     .     .     .  122 

gain  Pass  of  Thermopylae       ....  129 

Inachus  teaches  Pelasgians 13 

Ionia,  derivation  of  name 21 

location  of 56,  104 

Iphigenia  rescued  by  Diana 47 

Ipsus,  battle  of 265 

Ismene  dies  of  grief       40 

Issus,  Persians  routed  at 241 

Isthmian  games 280 

Ithome,  fortified  city 72,  73 

Jaddua,  vision  of 244 

Jason  commands  the  "Argo"  ....  25 
Jocasta,  kills  herself 35 

Queen  of  Thebes 29 

Jove,  thunderbolts  of 162 

Jupiter,  festival  and  statue  of     .     .     .   78,  79 

temple  to 245 

See  also  Zeus, 

Labyrinth  of  Crete 22,  27,  264 

Lacedaemon,  how  named 61 

Laconia,  adjective  from 66 

clemency  shown  to 197 

location  of 61 


286 


PAGE 

Laius,  killed  by  OEdipus 31 

words  of  oracle  to      ......  29 

Lamia,  fortress  of      . 258 

"  Last  of  the  Athenians"    .....        261 

"  Last  of  the  Greeks  " 280 

Leaena,  courage  of 100 

honor  to 103 

Leonidas  I.,  betrayal  of 129 

guards  Thermopylae      ...     -     .     .  125 
reply  of,  to  Xerxes   .......  127 

Leonidas  II 270-275 

Leuctra,  Theban  victory  at iq6 

Libya   temple  at        245 

Lone?  Walls,  buiMing  oi 147 

destruction  oi  .     .  170 

rebuilding  of 172 

Lyceum,  laying  out  of  .     .  ■     ...     96 

Lycurgus,  in  Sp^r-an  history  ...     61 

iron  money  originated  by  .     .     .  70 

laws  of 62-70 

Macedon,  location  of 217 

Mantinea,  Theban  victory  at       ....  199 
Marathon,  battle  of 113-115 

situation  of  . n  1 

Mardonius,  flight  of 134 

Mausolus,  Tomb  of 264 

Mediterranean  Sea,  isla:  ds  in     ....     13 

stretch  of n 

Megacles,  crime  of 89,  101 

Megalopolis,  tomb  in 280 

Menelaus 42,  43 

Messenia 71,  280 

Messenians,  bribed  by  Romans  ....  280 

thrown  into  Ceadas        75 

war  against  Spartans 145 

Messina,  city  and  colony  of  .     .     .       77,  166 

Lighthouse  of 264 

Midas,  cart  of 238 

Miletus 56,  137 

Milo  the  athlete 81,  82 

M  iltiades,  at  Marathon 112 

conviction  and  death  of 117 

Minerva.     See  Athene. 

Mirage 245 

Money,  coining  of 24 

institution  of  iron 70 

Morea,  why  so  called 55 

Nabis,  tyrant 278 

Navigation  taught 17 

Nearchus,  exploration  of 251 

Nemean  lion 38 

Nemesis,  statue  of 116 

Neptune.     See  Poseidon. 

Nestor  the  wise  man      ,,,...-.  44 


PAGE 

CEdipus,  answers  Sphinx'*  «ddl-         .     .    34 
attempted  murder  ol      .     ,     .  .29 

death  of  . .     .  36 

fulfillment  of  prophecy  concerning     31,  34 

puts  out  his  own  eyes 35 

Ogyges,  flood  of .     15 

Olympia,  temple  at 78 

Olympiad  as  measurement  of  time       .     ,     80 

Olympias 227,  261 

Olympic  games,  bearing  arms  during  .        126 

excitement  at .     86 

girls  in 84 

renewal  of 80 

time  reckoned  by 8  j 

Ostracize,  derivation  of 104 

Panathenaea,  festival  of 26 

Paris,  bringing  up  of 42 

Paros,  Island  of 116 

Parthenon 149,  264 

Patroclus,  armor  of  Achilles  on  ....     49 

killed  by  Hector 50 

sung  by  Homer 60 

Pausanias,  patriotism  of  mother  of      .     .  139 

successor  of  Leonidas 134 

walled  in 139 

Pelasgians,  homes  and  habits  of .     ...     12 
remains  of,  in  old  tombs     .....     18 

skill  of,  in  building .     14 

spinning  and  weaving  by 16 

Pelopidae  conquer  Heraclidae      ...  28 

Pelopidas,  exiled  Theban 191 

returns  in  disguise 193 

slain  in  battle 199 

Peloponnesian  War,  end  of    .  .     .     .170 

length  of 153 

Peloponnesus,  derivation  of  name        .     .     24 

Dorians  settle  in 55 

key  of  the 270 

laid  waste 154 

present  name  of 55 

Pelops  teaches  coinage  of  money    ...     24 

Perdiccas,  against  Ptolemy 260 

receives  Alexander's  ring 253 

Pericles,  death  of 156,157 

eloquence  of 154 

idol  of  the  poor 1 44 

improvement  of  Athens  by     .     .  '49 

leader  of  the  Athenians     ....   146 

Persepolis,  burning  of    ...     .  .     .  248 

Perseus  builds  Mycenae 17 

Persian  army,  route  of,  to  Greece    .     .     .  109 

Persian  fleet,  destruction  of no 

retreat  of     . 115 

Persian  vessels  shut  out  of  the  ^Egean     .  147 
Phalanx,  Macedonian    .....     218.  250 


28/ 


PAGE 

Pharnabazus 186-188 

Pharos     .  * .264 

Phidias,  death  of 149 

Parthenon  decorated  by     .     .     .     149,  264 

statues  by 79,  116,  149 

Philip  of  Macedon,  ambition  of,  217,  220,  226 

at  Chaeronea 226 

early  training  of 217 

formation  of  Macedonian  phalanx  by  .  218 
gift  from,  to  Demosthenes      ....  222 

left  eye  of,  put  out 220 

murder  of 226 

president  of  Amphictyonic  Council     .  225 

wealth  of 218 

Philippic,  origin  of 221 

Philopcemon,  anecdote  of 279 

"  Last  of  the  Greeks  " 280 

Philoxenus,  a  philosopher  .  .     .     202-204 

Phocion,  caution  of 257 

"  Last  of  the  Athenians  " 261 

Phoenicians,  home  of 13 

Pindar,  house  of 233 

Pisistratidae,  expulsion  of  ......     .  102 

Pisistratus,  death  of 98 

hypocrisy  of 95 

improvement  of  Athens  by     ....     96 

Plataea 134,  136 

Plato,  Olympic  crown  given  to    ...     .  212 

pupil  of  Socrates 159 

words  of  Socrates  preserved  by  .     177,179 
Poliorcetes,  "  the  city  taker  "      ....  263 

Polynices 37_39 

Porus,  Indian  king 250 

Poseidon 52,  280 

Priam,  begs  Hector's  body 51 

desertion  of  Paris  by 41 

sung  by  Homer 60 

Prisoners  of  war  as  slaves       .     .     .     .48,61 
Ptolemy,  builds  tomb  for  Alexander     .     .  255 

conquered  by  Demetrius 263 

Pyramids  of  Egypt 12,264 

Pyrrha 19,  20 

Pythias 204-208 

Quarries,  The 203 

Retreat  of  the  Ten  Thousand      .     .     .     .185 

Rome,  Achseans  exiled  to 281 

art  in        282 

power  of 270,  277 

Roxana,  imprisonment  of 261 

wife  of  Alexander 252 

Sacred  Battalion         ,               ...     195,  226 
Sacred  War       .     .  224 


PAGK 

Salamis,  victory  at 134,170 

Sardis,  burning  of 109 

taken  by  Alexander 237 

Seleucia        265 

Seleucus 262,  265,  267 

Scyros,  Island  of,  Achilles  at       ....     46 

Theseus  killed  at 28,  143 

Shipbuilding  taught        17 

Sicyon  joins  Achaean  League  ....  269 
Sisygambis,  love  of,  for  Alexander  242,  255 
Slaves,  prisoners  of  war  as      .     .     .     .48,61 

Socrates,  accusation  against 175 

belief  and  practice  of     .     .     .     .     158,176 

death  of       179 

defense  of    .     .     .  176 

greatest  philosopher  of  the  world    .     .  171 

last  conversation  of 177-179 

life  of  Alcibiades  saved  by      ....  162 

statue  of 179 

Solon,  laws  of 91,  103,  170 

play  acting  disapproved  by    ....     93 

return  of,  to  Athens 97 

Sophocles 94 

Sparta,  earthquake  at 144 

location  of 42 

rebuilding  of 146 

rulers  of 55 

two  kings  of 61 

Spartan,  an  expression  of  courage  ...     66 

Spartan  babes,  fate  of 63 

Spartan  boys,  education  of     ...     .    63  66 

example  of  bravery  of 65 

fidelity  instilled  in 67 

test  of  courage  of 65 

trained  to  steal 65 

Spartan  girls,  carried  off  by  Messenians  .     71 

education  of 63,  69 

Spartan  mother,  admonition  of  ....  68 
Spartans,  ask  aid  of  Athenians    ....     74 

at  Pass  of  Thermopylae 129 

attack  Amphea 71 

covet  Messenia 71 

degeneracy  of 172,  270 

force  way  into  Thebes 190 

freed  from  Achaean  League    ....  277 

habits  of  .     * 67,  68,  136 

influence  of  superstition  on      .     .    111,154 

join  in  Olympic  games        79 

overcome  Messenians -75 

rout  of  three  thousand  by  twelve     .     .  195 
seize  Persian  ambassadors      .  Ill 

swear  allegiance  to  Lycurgus     ...     70 

Sperthias,  self-sacrifice  of 120 

Sphinx 33,  34 

Styx,  power  of  waters  of 45 

Sun,  eclipse  of i53»  *54 


288 


PAGE 

Susa,  statue  at 247 

Sybaris,  prosperity  of 165 

Syracuse 166,  204 

Temple,  at  Delphi,  command  from  ...     19 

at  Ephesus 227,  264 

at  Libya 245 

at  Olympia 78 

of  Bel,  rebuilding  of 247 

of  Jupiter 246 

of  Neptune 258 

protection  by  a      ...     88,  139,  258,  271 

rebuilding  of  a 247 

saved  by  thunderstorm .     .     .     .     730,  267 

test  of  courage  at 65 

Theagenes,  statue  of 83 

Theater,  the  first 93 

Thebes,  founding  of 17 

siege  of 38-40 

supremacy  of 197 

taking  of 191,  233 

Themistocles,  Athenian  general  .     .     .     .112 

council  planned  by 125 

courage  of 133 

exiled  by  Athenians 140 

honor  of 140 

jealousy  of 116 

Thermopylae,  Greeks  at     ....     127,  128 

Pass  of 20,  125 

Thersander 40,  44 

Theseum 143 

Theseus,  bones  of      ........  143 

Greek  hero 26-28 

Thespians,  bravery  of 130 

Thespis  builds  first  theater 93 

Thessaly,  location  of 55 

Thirty  Tyrants,  the 170-172 

Thrasybulus,  statues  to 172 

Tigris,  Greeks  swim  the 246 


PAGE 

Torture,  instrument  of 278 

Tragedy,  Greek  meaning  of 93 

writers  of 94 

Troy,  burning  of 53 

location  of 41 

siege  of 47-53 

sung  by  Homer 60 

Truce,  hundred  years' 28,  55 

Tyrant,  meanings  of 97 

Tyre,  burning  of 243 

Tyrtseus  leads  Spartans 75 

Ulysses,  in  disguise 46 

sung  by  Homer 60 

the  crafty  king 44 

wooden  horse  of 52 

Vine,  golden 106,  253 

Voting  in  Athens 91,  103 

War,  end  of  Peloponnesian     .     „    .     .     .170 

engines  of    ... 124,  263 

First  Messenian 71 

length  of  Peloponnesian 153 

of  the  Epigoni 4c 

of  the  Two  Leagues 277 

Second  Messenian 77 

Wonders  of  the  world    .     .    .       149,  228,  264 

Xanthippe 158 

Xenophon 159,  182 

Xerxes  I.,  canal  dug  by 124 

defeat  of 134 

host  of 121-124 

sorrow  of 122 

vessels  of,  wrecked 126 

Xuthus  rules  Athens 21 

Zeus  (see  also  Jupiter)     .     .         77,  151,  162 


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